I need advise on requeening nuc

[MJC417]

I made up two nucs, one was queenless for 2 hrs. and they accepted the queen with attendents in a week. The other was queenless for 24hrs. they didn't. I have a new queen coming tomarrow and would like any advice on putting the new queen in. Should I remove the attendents? Should I leave the candy cork in for a couple of days? Thanks, Mike

[honeyman46408]

Check and see if they have made cells if they have they will kill the next queen too

[Rick 1456]

There have been debates on this forum ref. to remove the attendents or not. My "opinion" or should I say what will do in the future is to leave them in. My main concern is handling the queen. Don't trust my arthritic hands. You didn't say how long you left her before you checked to see if the she was released. Here's what happened to me..... I bought a queen and introduced her per instructions,,,,,,,ie, cage between frame, cork out small hole in candy, check in one week to see if she has been released. I waited the week. Opened the hive and checked the cage. She was out of the cage. Checked a few frames to see if she if was laying. Well, I found her and she was balled when the light hit her!! I do not check for two weeks now. IMO she will be released. When she kicks in, you should see a dramatic increase in active from the hive. Pollen being brought , busy busy busy. Then, IMO you can go check on things if you feel the need.

My thoughts as I defer

Rick SoMd

[S.Brooks]

Try smoking the nuc really good then put her cage in. The thought here is that the heavy smoking will cover any different scent between the queen/attendents and the nuc. let her cage sit in there for atleast 4 days, preferably 5, then remove the cork on the candy end.
Just make sure like honeyman said and MAKE SURE there arent any queen cells.... if there are, cut them out and make some more nucs :)

This method has worked for me and by no means the only solution.

[MJC417]

I made sure when I made up the nucs there were no queen cells, just 4 frames of honey, pollen, and a mix of brood, mostly capped thats emerged allready. This time I'm going to leave the cork in for a couple of days.

[BeeCurious]

I removed attendants for the first time this year. It's very easy and you do not need to touch the queen.

Read this: http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=243769

and then follow the link in posting #3 where there is more on attendants and their removal.

[devdog108]

I wish I would have when i tried requeening a hive....they killed the atendant in the cage and her too...in the cage...

[longrangedog]

I made sure when I made up the nucs there were no queen cells, just 4 frames of honey, pollen, and a mix of brood, mostly capped thats emerged allready. This time I'm going to leave the cork in for a couple of days.

The day you made up the nucs there would have been no queen cells assuming you pulled the frames from queenright colonys. Check again because they make queencells AFTER you make up the nucs (when they become queenless).

[MJC417]

No chance of queen cells, I checked all four frames from top to bottom. There are no eggs for them to even make a queen cell if they want to. All of the brood has hatched allready. I put the new queen in today after removing the attendents and lightly sprayed the hive with LMGO sugar syrup. I noticed the bees didnt look like they were biting the cage. So I removed the candy cork and closed them up. It drives me nuts not looking for a week but I'll try not to! Mike