Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => REQUEENING & RAISING NEW QUEENS => Topic started by: orvette1 on June 05, 2010, 03:18:15 am
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OK so I have read the article about starting an emergency queen. I don't have the time or expertise for that. What would happen if I took a good strong hive deep and set it on a new base. Would they make a new queen or would they die out?
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OK so I have read the article about starting an emergency queen. I don't have the time or expertise for that. What would happen if I took a good strong hive deep and set it on a new base. Would they make a new queen or would they die out?
What is the situation here for us to draw from?
A queenless colony with the right resources can make a new queen from worker eggs or very young larvae.
A good set up for this is any queenless colony packed with bees, the more bees, the better.
If you are trying to do a simple split, place the queenless hive where the old, queenright colony was and you will pick up returning bees to boost the new set up.
No matter what you do, you are on the bee's time table and you will have to wait for them to make a new queen. If you can't wait, then you will need to purchase a queen.
I'm giving this a shot based on very little information. Hope this helps.
...JP
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They would attempt to make a new queen and most likely would succeed at it.
http://www.bushfarms.com/beessplits.htm#walkaway (http://www.bushfarms.com/beessplits.htm#walkaway)
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Thank you both for the info. I have a swarm I pick up about 1 year ago. They have been struggling so I need a new queen. However I can't buy one. They just found small hive beetle here. There is one place that sells queens to hobby keepers like myself. Now they can't sell here in Hawaii. Hawaii law says that you can't import any live or dead bees, used equipment or anything like that. Most other beekeepers here are in the same spot I am so they won't sell any queens. I have a strong hive that I will split and eventually merge with the swarm hive. Again thanks for the info.
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Orvette, why don't you give the weaker colony a brood frame with worker eggs and tiny larvae. Put the weak hive where the strong one is and the strong one wherever you like.
Keep that strong hive strong. Do what I suggest and you will help that weaker hive instantly.
...JP
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The hives are close to each other so changing position will not help I shouldn't think. The reason I don't put frames of brood and larvae in is because the queen is weak I think. They have just barely filled the lower 10 frames in 1 year. It isn't like we get cold or snow, so I think she needs to be replaced. The good hive has built and gotten stronger in just 6 months, so it isn't the lack of food. I'll try to get a new queen going from the strong hive, maybe that will help. Thanks
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If you were to place the weaker hive in the exact spot the strong hive is in and move the stronger hive say even 40-50 feet, the returning foragers of the strong hive will go right into the weaker hive. Now that is fact.
...JP
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And remember, they won't even try to raise a new queen if they have one already (even if she's not up to snuff) you gotta pinch the old one.
Scott
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Orvette. You seem to not want to accept the info you asked for. In your weak hive kill the old queen and give them a frame of eggs and young larvae from your good hive. They will raise a new queen. If they don't make queen cells the first time repeat with another frame of eggs/larva after a week. If you want to build them up fast then place the weak hive where the strong hive is sitting and move the strong hive a few feet away; you will capture the foragers from the old hive. If you don't care to do this then let 'em die!!! Free country, free advice, your free choice!!!!!!!!
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Thank you all for your help. It wasn't that I was not taking your advice. I just didn't understand it. I couldn't understand why putting some frames and moving the hive would help. Eventually someone said you have to pinch off the queen, and it made sense. I took some advice from some local beekeeper. He said since we can't get queens he said to just start a new hive, using frames from the good hive, and try to restart the bad hive and see if the queen gets better. So I did. We shall see how that works. Again, thanks for the help.
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That is exactly what we were trying to tell you to do, but we are doing so over the internet, whereas your mentor is there in person. Best of luck!
...JP