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Author Topic: moving a hive that just started laying again after making new queen?  (Read 1118 times)

Offline windfall

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How long should I wait before moving a hive (within the same yard) that just started laying again?

I attempted a cutdown split on a hive some weeks ago, taking the queen and most of the open brood.
The remainder built a ton of e-cells, cast a swarm, and just last week has anew queen laying.
I want them in a different spot in the same yard (see the thread about weak nuc).
Can I move them now or do I need to let them get going normally again?

Offline FRAMEshift

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Re: moving a hive that just started laying again after making new queen?
« Reply #1 on: June 25, 2012, 12:20:13 am »
You will lose the foragers unless you force them to re-orient.  You can try partially blocking the entrance to get them to re-orient.  If you lose the foragers, including guard bees, you will need to reduce the entrance for a week or so until new guards come into place.  If there are no foragers, make sure the bees have some water in the comb, and honey and pollen so they can keep going until there are new foragers.
"You never can tell with bees."  --  Winnie-the-Pooh

Offline windfall

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Re: moving a hive that just started laying again after making new queen?
« Reply #2 on: June 25, 2012, 09:16:31 am »
Thanks frameshift,

I am familiar with the fact that I will lose most/all of the foragers and the potential consequences of that as well as what I can do to reduce the loss.

My concern was that due to the prolonged brood break, and the the fact that they just recently started raising brood again, most of the hive are foragers (that's sort of the idea behind the cut-down...unfortunately I botched it). I assume that they won't abandon the brood they have, but was wondering if I might lose such a large portion of the hive as to really put a hurt on them?

I guess I am asking if I should wait a bit longer for the first round of brood to emerge before I make the move. That timing does not suit me as well but....


Offline FRAMEshift

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Re: moving a hive that just started laying again after making new queen?
« Reply #3 on: June 25, 2012, 12:23:21 pm »
The nurse bees will stay with the brood.  I'd go ahead and move them on your schedule.  But I would make sure that they have enough honey and pollen to keep making brood with a reduced forager force.
"You never can tell with bees."  --  Winnie-the-Pooh