splits

[margot]

I made a split several weeks ago, and hoped the bees would make their own queen. Although there are still lots of bees in this hive, I see no evidence of queen cells nor are there any field bees flying into or out of the hive. I have been feeding sugar syrup. There is still brrod in the hive, but I could not see any eggs.
If I discontinue feeding, will the bees start to forage on their own? Is there anything else I should do?

[Brandon Shaw]

You could add the nuc to a weaker hive, introduce a queen if one is handy, put on a strong hive until you can get a queen and then seperate again, (just remember to move the nuc a couple of miles for a few days if you add to) if you add to a hive and seperate again. If you combine these bees to another hive just seperate boxes with ONE sheet of newspaper. Just a ideas of what I would do. Ihad the same thing just happen, when I couldn't get a queen for awhile I went to combine the bee's to a stronger hive, and actually found a new queen that I had missed, So check very close for eggs!

[Michael Bush]

Are you sure there were eggs in the side of the split with no queen? If they don't have eggs or very young just hatched larvae, they can't raise one. You could add a frame you know has eggs to the queenless side from the queenright side.

[BjornBee]

I would jump right back on the horse with what M. Bush said. Add a frame of NEW eggs and try again. Also add perhaps a frame or two of capped brood from the queenright side to help boost numbers while they make thier new queen. It great to see this through the first time.