queen acceptance

[Vance G]

I introduced three new queens to their perspective chambers in a deep hive body divided three ways to a couple frames of brood each. THis contraption has a a screen on the bottom so the weak splits can enjoy the heat rising from a strong colony. Since i was leaving town for a several days, I went back after three days to check the queens and release them if necessary. I did have to release two of them.

Now four days later I was home and did an inspection to check for eggs and found one of the new queens being balled! I rescued her and shut her back in her queen cage. I found eggs and thought I had probably had a queen some way find a hole between the next door colony and wander in and was being killed. I inspected the other two and found eggs and queens in both.

I then went back to the first one and smoked the bees and the caged queen very heavily and put the cage with an open end back in. When I inspected yesterday, I found three thriving little colonies who will be moved into five frame nucs when the seldom ending rain ceases!

Was my presence back so soon after the queens introduction the reason they were balling her? Now, there are four different queens in this Rube Goldberg of mine only separated by masonite and a double screen. Does this cause problems in anyones experience?

I started out using this setup to use three extra queens when it was still cold and snow in April and it worked well so I used it again. Thoughts Please. Is this methold routinely sucessful or is a dangerous way to make little splits.

[Joseph Clemens]

It sounds very similar to one of the methods I use, myself. Mine use partitions of 1/8" thick hardboard/masonite, with #8 screen/hardware cloth stapled across the bottom and individual inner covers of hardboard/masonite.

[Vance G]

Yeah the individual covers complete the picture. Do yours have a double screen on the bottom? I do and wonder if it is necessary. I have entrances on the side and one end. I made this one using an old super. I need to re do it with a knocked down box so I can make nice clean cuts on my table saw instead of the dremel and wood chisle methold I employed. I made some five frame nucs same patent with a double screen and they are what I am moveing them into.

[Joseph Clemens]

No, I just have a single layer of #8 hardware cloth (screen) over the bottom, but I use small wooden slats attached to the bottoms of the partitions in order to have a way to firmly attach the hardware cloth all across the bottom.