[Steve in PA]

Today I did a flyback split on a hive that was getting ready to swarm. Normally I leave the queenless portion raise their own queen. This time I realized that I have some freshly mated queens that I was going to make nucs with. How would I go about introducing her to the queenless hive? I do not have a queen cage.

I have feeder openings on my nucs that have mesh on them. Could I just add her and some attendants to a jar with a cotton ball with honey/water on it for a few days? I would put another box on top to keep her out of the sun.

Adding a mated queen seemed like a good idea until I realized I don't have the equipment for it.

 

[Western]

Make a quick push in cage if you have screen laying around.

 

[Steve in PA]

Doh! I didn't even think of that. Thanks.

 

[Nelsonhoneyfarms]

Today I did a flyback split on a hive that was getting ready to swarm. Normally I leave the queenless portion raise their own queen. This time I realized that I have some freshly mated queens that I was going to make nucs with. How would I go about introducing her to the queenless hive? I do not have a queen cage.

I have feeder openings on my nucs that have mesh on them. Could I just add her and some attendants to a jar with a cotton ball with honey/water on it for a few days? I would put another box on top to keep her out of the sun.

Adding a mated queen seemed like a good idea until I realized I don't have the equipment for it.

Agree with Western. See pic (sorry it’s a bit fuzzy). Works better than the candy cages. Put it over emerging brood if you can. They will emerge into the cage with her and begin to tend to her from the start. Best method for queen acceptance IMO.

Good luck!

 

[Woodstove]

If your freshly mated queens are currently laying queens, you can take them from your mating nucs and introduce them directly into the nucs you've just made.

In one of his presentations at the National Honey Show (might have been Henderson County presentation), Michael Palmer speaks of how Brother Adam would pull a failing queen from a hive and directly introduce a new laying queen from a mating nuc, then put the old failing queen in the mating nuc until he could replace her with a new queen cell.