Tricky questions about new queenless hive?

[jpryce]

I've been helping a beekeeper for a few months with her hives so I can learn before I get my own hives.  I'm beginning this spring with my first 2 hives- 1 package and 1 nuc. 

I went a few weeks ago(March 14) with the beekeeper to split one of her booming hives before it swarmed.  There are 2 hives placed on a deck next to each other.  The hive we were splitting is testy.  The hive was one deep and 3 mediums with brood in the bottom three boxes.  We found the queen and put her and 5 frames of brood in another box and readied it for the drive home(about 40 minute drive).  We left the hive with what appeared to be a few beginnings of queen cells.  None of them were capped or fully developed.

The hive is located at a small local organic farm and unfortunately was originally placed in a area where people have a walking path.  The person who owns the farm said the hive was really mad for a few days after we split the hive and had stung a few people and the dogs.


This is where I have the questions and it gets a bit tricky for me.

The beekeeper has decided to completely remove the hive and want to give me the half that's still up at the farm. We are picking it up tonight.  She has the old queen(1 year old) with the original hive at her house but plans on re queening on April 8(her new queen arrives)  She asked if I want the old queen but she said she can't give me the old queen til April 6( the day she was going to kill it)

Do I let hive build their own new queen?  From my reading it takes about 16 days to hatch a new queen. I'm guessing it would take the bees a few days to figure out their queenless and start the process.  I would think after she's hatched it will take a few days to take her nuptial flight and start laying.  So- about 3 -4 weeks til I start seeing new brood.

Do I take the old testy queen in another week and 1/2 or do I order a new queen also?(she has been a good laying queen)
I was going to give the hive 3 or 4 days after I move it tonight to settle down before I open it and do an inspection. I want to look for queen cells.   Good idea or not?

I'd love any advice!!!

Thanks,
Julie

[doak]

After 4 or 5 days, or less, without a queen there is no suitable eggs/day old Larvae to rear a queen from.
You would have to take the chance of the developing of laying workers. Then you would have added problems. I had one that went queen less for 41 days and did not develop laying workers. But we can't count on that every time.
If you could add a frame of eggs from another colony then if there is no queen they would most likely start a cell. Bout the best I can do. :)doak

[Kathyp]

you may have capped queen cells now.  you will have to check.  be careful. they stick out and you don't want to scrape or smash them.

if not

 i would not wait for the old queen.  can you  buy a queen yet where you are?  if not, ask the lady to give you frames with eggs from the other hive.  they will make their own queen.  in the event that the queen they  make does not survive it's mating flight, etc. you will have bought yourself enough time to buy a queen.  they should be available in a couple of weeks.

ask her for 2 frames with eggs.  make sure they are eggs and not larvae.

[iddee]

From Mar. 14 til Apr. 6 is 23 days. You should have a mated queen by then, either laying or getting ready to. If they started a queen cell the day you split, she will likely have emerged by now, so don't expect to find queen cells when you inspect it. You most likely have a virgin queen. I would not order a queen before Apr. 12.
A frame of brood and eggs never hurts a hive, so if you can obtain one, it will just be good insurance.

[jpryce]

Thanks so much for your input.  I will ask her for a frame with some eggs in it.

What does a virgin queen look like? 

Thanks,
Julie

[iddee]

A worker bee with no fuzz on her thorax.

[doak]

I think their abdomen is a little longer and slimmer than a worker. :)doak

[iddee]

If you have 20/5 vision, they are. If you have 20/40 to 20/60, like me, they ain't no difference.  :-*   :-D

[Kathyp]

only time i can ever spot them is when they run.  that's usually right before they fly and the swallows eat them  :(