Requeening hives

[pfrichar]

Hi-

I am finishing up my 1st year of beekeeping this spring. My question is as follows:
I had 2 hives and split one two weeks ago. The split is doing fine. The donor hive seems fine too but I've left it alone to make a new queen. The other hive had a queen problem and I just requeened it.

Here's my problem. The requeened hive has pretty much filled up two deep boxes of comb with nectar. So, when the queen leaves her cage, she won't have much room to lay. I don't have any extra drawn deep comb lying around. I do have a couple of supers of drawn comb but normally I'd prefer not to use it for rearing brood. Any suggestions on what to do? My concern is that my queen won't have any place to lay eggs.

[kkettelhut]

Do you have another deep you can add, or frames of foundation for them to build some comb for brood. If you need some in a pinch I bought stuff I don't plan on using for a month or so. Live local can help

[alpha6]

Pull two frames drawn comb from your other hives and give them the nectar. Do this right after the queen is released or better put the empty comb in the box and release her onto it.

Other thing to do is...when she is released or when you release her, grab two frames full of nectar and just shake out the nectar into the hive. Place the now empty frames in the center for her to lay in, throw on a queen excluder and put a super above. They will move the nectar into the super and she can start laying.

[Tom G. Laury]

The bees will clear out the comb as soon as you put her in there you don't need to second guess them much. You are in Maine? Where is all this juice coming from?

[pfrichar]

I have been feeding the hives sugar syrup plus we have some stuff in bloom already: dandelions, apples, certain flowers.