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Author Topic: Queenless Hive or Egg Reduction  (Read 1767 times)

Offline GTX188

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Queenless Hive or Egg Reduction
« on: June 06, 2009, 08:59:48 pm »
I had a swarm on one of my hives last week, and have noticed significant egg/brood reduction. I have heard egg production drops off after a swarm but am wondering if I should be concerned. This hive 2 weeks ago had 4 FULL frames of capped brood. I am wondering if it just takes some time to get things going again? There are no emergency, supercedure or swarm cells to be seen. Any opinions?

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Queenless Hive or Egg Reduction
« Reply #1 on: June 06, 2009, 09:16:49 pm »
>I have heard egg production drops off after a swarm

Actually it drops off BEFORE the swarm and stops altogether after for at least two weeks.
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Offline GTX188

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Re: Queenless Hive or Egg Reduction
« Reply #2 on: June 07, 2009, 01:39:11 pm »
Would you recommend re-queening this hive or just letting things go untouched for a bit.

Offline homer

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Re: Queenless Hive or Egg Reduction
« Reply #3 on: June 07, 2009, 02:33:57 pm »
Would you recommend re-queening this hive or just letting things go untouched for a bit.

Your hive should have done a good job rearing a good swarm queen to replace the one that left with the swarm.  I would let nature take its course.  By the time you get a new queen and requeen and that one gets accepted and starts laying, the one you have now would probably already be to that point as well.

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Queenless Hive or Egg Reduction
« Reply #4 on: June 07, 2009, 03:20:02 pm »
Trying to requeen will most likely result in a dead queen.  The virgin in there will just kill her.
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Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: Queenless Hive or Egg Reduction
« Reply #5 on: June 07, 2009, 10:52:23 pm »
Prior to swarming the queen will cease laying eggs.  After a swarm it is often hard to tell that a hive has swarmed because the population doesn't seem deminished.  The brood hatched out replacing the population that left with the swarm so the real clue that a swarm happened is the sudden brood dearth.  It will correct itself once the new queen has mated and starts laying.

The sudden brood dearth, when a leaving swarm was unobserved, is often mistaken as a queenless hive.
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