Ok, so I have a hive that is in 2 deeps right now. Not really any new eggs that I can see but a little capped brood and a lot of uncapped. The larva don't look so good. About 1 in 40 are dried up and I have a few mummies down at the bottom. I found the queen, she is big and looks totally healthy and all. I am thinking that I need to requeen. We get a pretty good last flow here at the end of August-September and I would like them to build up nice, get good stores for winter and end the season with that.
My other hive that is right next to them is cranking, I just took a deep off of honey, and they are filling a new one as we speak, last night when I checked they have all frames filled with nector already. (its been on about 4 days)
I have about 2 deeps of honey that I have pulled off my 2 hives but I have not extracted them yet as it is my first time down here in the vallley and I don't want to extract and then not actually get a flow. So I will keep those frames handy in case I need them.
So, I have a great queen that seems to be doing very well in a 4 frame nuc. She is off of my other hive that seems to have perfect habits and demeanor etc. I would like to pluck her out and get her in the other hive. I have queen cages and all, she is marked and ready to go.
So I have to just find the old queen, get her out, and get this other gal in there, right? I just thought that I would run all this by you guys and gals before I do this.
Should I save the old queen and see how she does in a new nuc? She is deffinately mated (she was huge). I have read that chaulk brood is not always a queen thing??
Let me know, all advise is appriciated.
F