Author Topic: Dead queen (Read 2402 times)

mat · « **on:** May 11, 2006, 09:39:47 am »

I checked on my hives last thursday. Everything was OK. Yesterday I found dead queen in front of one hive. The weather is horible here. Cold and rain, and the forcast is like this for whole next week. I cannot even look if they have new one or queen cells. Is there anything I can do now, or just wait for better weather and then check on them, possibly give a new queen.

Brian D. Bray · « **Reply #1 on:** May 12, 2006, 10:25:43 am »

You don't indicate the age of the hive, meaning the queen, if she is old she might of died from that, or been killed by the workers who are in the process of superceding her.
Check the hive at the earliest good weather allows. If more than three days have passed (the length of egg stage) and there is new eggs don't worry a new queen is in place. If there is no sign of new eggs but there's several capped queen cells then suspercedure is in place--re-queening is an option but it is best timed for the suspected hatch date of the queen cells. This is the reason having a nuc with an extra queen or maintaining a queen bank is a good idea. Re-queening once supercedure is in motion will most likely result in either rejection of the outside queen or possibly swarming depending on the timing. I've had both happen so it's the bees' choice.

mat · « **Reply #2 on:** May 12, 2006, 11:19:32 am »

Hi Brian. The queen was less than one year old, and she was clipped. Yesterday was almost 60, and for short time sun pick out of the cloauds, so I had a quick pick inside. They are strong, on three deeps and one shallow. And there were queen cells. I checked just a few frames. So they eather supercedured, or tryed to swarm, but the queen couldn't fly so they would had to come back, because the strength is the same (I'm not sure if they do that). Third option that I dropped her somehow when I was checking the hive more then a week ago, and she couldn't make it back. But why I found her after several days? And it's gonna be rainning whole weekend and next week. Looks I can just wait now.

Brian D. Bray · « **Reply #3 on:** May 15, 2006, 05:36:15 am »

Now you know why I never buy a clipped queen. Marked yes, clipped never. If you still have queen cells they are still going to swarm (if they haven't already) giving you both a hive and a swarm with virgin queens. A timely split might save the day if you have queen cells on more than one frame divide those frames between the splits.

Michael Bush · « **Reply #4 on:** May 15, 2006, 08:05:53 am »

Where are the queen cells located? If they are hanging off the bottom they are most likely swarm cells. I would do a split pronto. Even in a light rain. If the old queen tried to swarm already they will leave any minute now.

mat · « **Reply #5 on:** May 15, 2006, 11:48:21 am »

Actually, it has been pouri here, as may see on the weather we are flooded here in New England. It stopped now but it is 48. It's gonna be warmer and sun on Wdnesday, and I have two queens comming on that day. I am planning to split with the queen cells to the split and introduce new queen, under the cage to the main hive. The other queen I can introduce to the other split I have done from the other hive.