[enjambres]

I would combine all of the remaining bees with the nuc, then split off a bunch of them with a purchased queen when you can get one. You might also consider using a vial of queen substance pheromone. Is there any capped brood left? IIRC, it's actually brood pheromone that suppresses LW, and even after that it takes a bit more for LW to get going. I don't think you're out of luck for collecting some honey since things are a bit tardy this year, and you still have locust and basswood. Even down here, I have only just barely begun to have fruit blossoms. And your bees won't have to completely redraw all the combs from scratch, will they?

But still, it's only 4 more days until the 21st, so may be two new queens would be a better bet.

Nancy

 

[enjambres]

Of course open brood is more LW-suppressing (than capped brood), but surely since the bear was there eight or nine days ago, some of the now-capped brood was still likely open brood for some period afterward. That would have delayed the start-clock of the LW-issue, so you may have more time than you think. (I think I read it was 21 days w/o brood, or about a whole brood cycle.)

It's still early for open-mating (I have drones here, but not tons and tons of them and the weather has been iffy) , so a mated queen is probably your best bet. Do you want me to check that for you?

An emergency cell made right afterwards would be just-hatched, or nearly so, about now so keep an eye out for one and/or a virgin queen running around about. (If it ever stops raining - tomorrow seems promising.)

Nancy