Queenless

[Rob_Donna]

I have a queenless hive (I found queen cells high on the comb). This was a recent split. The introduced queen was evidentally killed. I have a queen on order to be here in 2 weeks. My question is this...
Should I combine the queenless hive with a queenright one? If so, do I have to tear out all queencells? Would the queen in the queenright hive kill all emerging queens? What's the best procedure. I only have 3 hives to work with (and one is a one week old feral hive).

Thanks in advance

Rob

[Michael Bush]

>I have a queenless hive (I found queen cells high on the comb). This was a recent split. The introduced queen was evidentally killed. I have a queen on order to be here in 2 weeks. My question is this...

When did you split? My guess is if there are cells the larvae are already 3 days or more old which means that in 13 days or less you'll have a new queen. Before your queen gets here.

>Should I combine the queenless hive with a queenright one?

Do you want another queen? Another split? If not, you could do that, or you could wait until your queen gets here and kill the new one (what a waste).

>If so, do I have to tear out all queencells? Would the queen in the queenright hive kill all emerging queens?

Maybe, maybe not. The new one may emerge and kill the old one. The new one may emerge and the two of them stay for a while until the bees decide who they like more and they will kill the other one. The two may both coexist until fall when the bees will probably dispose of one.

>What's the best procedure. I only have 3 hives to work with (and one is a one week old feral hive).

What do you want to end up with? I probably wouldn't bother buying a queen that I couldn't get for two weeks, I'd just let them raise a new one.

Sounds like the one you introduced probably started laying and then they superceded her. But maybe they just killed early and you still had eggs young enough? I don't know what time frame from the split until the queen was gone until the cells were started.

Anyway, you already ordered a queen, so now what do you want to do? I'd be tempted to let them raise one and do another small split from one of your other hives just to keep a spare queen around and then combine the two weak splits in the fall after killing the queen you like the least (the least successful nuc).

It just depends on what you want to end up with. I just hate to waste a nice young queen.

[Rob_Donna]

Let me back up. I made the split 11 days ago (week ago sat.). I installed the new queen in cage on Sun. On fri, I checked on her, she was released. Then, today, little activity which prompted the check. The queen I have on order is bred for mite resistance, so I had planned on requeening one of my hives with her. From the way you talked, I guess the best course of action is to let the queenless hive rear their own, and then put the ordered queen in a split. Then I can requeen the weakest in the fall

Thanks again
Rob

[Michael Bush]

I don't know if it's the "best" but it gives you some options come fall.