View Full Version : ailing queen?
One of my hives has had a slow start this spring. I looked in yesterday to find a small number of bees and very little scattered brood. Total brood would probably cover only 1 side of 1 frame for the entire hive. I did find the queen who was wondering around with one attendant. I even saw an egg she was about to lay. On that same frame I found a queen cell hanging off of the bottom.
Thoughts/Suggestions?
Michael Bush
04-18-2006, 07:31 AM
>One of my hives has had a slow start this spring. I looked in yesterday to find a small number of bees and very little scattered brood. Total brood would probably cover only 1 side of 1 frame for the entire hive. I did find the queen who was wondering around with one attendant. I even saw an egg she was about to lay. On that same frame I found a queen cell hanging off of the bottom.
They probably dwrindled too far in the fall. The amount of brood is a reflection of the number of bees to care for them. If you can reduce the size of the hive enough, they might be able to get going. That's what I would do. Maybe a frame of emerging brood from another hive.
peggjam
04-18-2006, 07:46 AM
If you had or built a 2 frame nuc, that would be perfect, barring that a five frame nuc with a followor board, and a frame of brood from another hive, and put the feed to them, and reduce the entrance so only one bee can leave at a time.
The hive next to it is doing great. I'll grab a frame of brood from it. I just need to make sure I don't transplant that queen with it.
Do you just make sure there are no bees on that frame? Brush them off?
Do I leave the queen cell alone?
Thanks for the help.
D
[ April 18, 2006, 10:26 AM: Message edited by: DLee ]
peggjam
04-18-2006, 10:42 AM
"Do you just make sure there are no bees on that frame? Brush them off?"
Yes.
"Do I leave the queen cell alone?"
That's up to you. I don't know how well your old queen is laying, and would assume the bees know what they're doing.
Michael Bush
04-18-2006, 01:00 PM
>Do you just make sure there are no bees on that frame? Brush them off?
That's one choice. The other would be to smoke them to confuse them and put them on with the bees attached.
>Do I leave the queen cell alone?
I most always do. smile.gif
Dave W
04-18-2006, 01:48 PM
I would check weak hive for mites too smile.gif