[Jim Ray]

I am pretty sure I have a queenless hive. I have noticed very little traffic, low numbers of bees during the check today, and saw no eggs or brood. I winter hives in two deeps. What steps should I take to combine the queenless hive with another. There would be four deeps stacked up...

Within weeks we will have dandelions and fruit trees blooming.

Advice?

 

[sqkcrk]

Put them to gether w/ a sheet of newspaper between them. Put the q-less one on top of the queen right one. If your equipment is pretty much bee tight you may want to give the upper one an entrance of its' own. Make a couple of slices in the newspaper, so they can get together more quickly.

 

[Beeslave]

You don't have to combine both hive bodies from the QL hive.

 

[B Reeves]

is there enough bees to move a frame with eggs over to it so they make a queen?
Bob

 

[Jim Ray]

I'll check again in a week, but think that they might be a little shy on the workforce to put in a frame of brood.

 

[fish_stix]

Shake all the bees from the queenless hive into 1 box and do a newspaper combine with the good hive. Use the other box on another hive or store it. One or two small slits in the paper is all you need and they'll go through it in a few hours. No need for another entrance.

 

[Jim Ray]

Good stuff, guys.