Balling Queen!!!!!!!!!!

[Cossack]

Ok,

     I was out in the apiary today and checked on a nuc box that has been queenless for 3 weeks now. No new brood. No Queen. The hive is  collecting plenty of pollen and nectar and making honey. The hive is very docile. But no queen.

     I close the nuc back up and begin to check on the other hives in the apiary when I spot 3 hives down a Balling at the entrance. I walked over and dicovered a Queen balled by several honey bees. I collected the queen and moved her to the Queenless nuc. I put her directly in and she disapeared.

     My question is will she make it in the queen less nuc or will she be killed for being an intruder? It was quick decision and partial desperation.

     What does the forum think??????????????????????????

Thanks in advance.   :bee:

[sc-bee]

Time will tell---- queenless, I think a good possible take.

Now does your other hive have a queen?

[Natalie]

From what I have heard if you were going to do a direct release you should have at least heavily smoked the hive to cover her pheromones but all you can do now is hope for the best.

[Cheryl]

On the other hand, you really have nothing to lose by doing just what you did. Quick-thinking on your part stopped the current assault on Her Majesty, and you gave her a second chance. Who knows, It just might take!

[iddee]

This time of year, 75% chance all is well. Another month and she likely would have been killed.

[Cheryl]

iddee, you've got me curious. What about the timing? Why safer now than later?

[iddee]

As to why, I don't know, but they will almost always accept her during the main honey flow. I just combined 2 queenless nucs with a queenright nuc last week by just putting the 10 best frames in a 10 frame hive. Very little smoke, no other odor cover. Yesterday she had moved onto the other frames and laying fine.

[Brian D. Bray]

As to why, I don't know, but they will almost always accept her during the main honey flow. I just combined 2 queenless nucs with a queenright nuc last week by just putting the 10 best frames in a 10 frame hive. Very little smoke, no other odor cover. Yesterday she had moved onto the other frames and laying fine.

The confusion caused by the multitude of odors from combining bees from 3 or more hives makes it possible to do a newspaperless combine.  If only combining 2 hives, though, and the newspaper is still the bees best friend.