[Grid]

Hive was queenless for 3 weeks. I got a new queen. Inspected - no sign of eggs (multiple or single). Since I had a 2" riser on site not being used, I put it on, and just placed the queen cage screen up on the top bars, attendants and all, after removing the candy cork and putting a small hole down the middle of the candy. After about 5 minutes, some bees were exploring it, but no biting or stinging attempts that I could see. I will check later.

This seem ok, the riser and putting the cage screen-side-up on top of the top-bars?



Thanks!
Grid.

 

[Grid]

After a couple of hours, there isn't much activity around the queen. A few bees stop on the cage for a while then move on, and there are three bees chewing at the candy plug of the cage.

I hope these are all good signs, although I'd be happier if she was being fed through the screen. They're not trying to kill her, so this is good.

 

[11x]

i had the exact situation. i moved her down into the hive between t frames and thay started feeding her. in 3 days i directly released her and all is well. i found egs the very next day.

 

[kiwiBee]

She really should be down inbetween the frames with all the bees.
If you get a cold snap she will probably die.
If it was me I wouldn't have her ontop of the bars.

kiwi

 

[Grid]

Thanks. I'll move her down.

 

[kiwiBee]

Grid
Just make sure there enough room between the frame and the cage for the bees to feed her etc.
you prolly already knew that but.... just in case

kiwi

 

[Grid]

All done - put the cage down right in the middle, sides squished into the comb, candy plug up, screen exposed to one side. I had hoped she would be ok on the top bars - easier, you know? But there is a frost warning here tonight, and she needs to be warm.

I'll go back on Sunday and hopefully remove an empty cage, replace the frame I removed, and then leave it alone for a couple of weeks. Hopefully all will be well.

Cheers, and thanks for the replies.
Grid.

 

[Grid]

Followup question - how much better is it to introduce the queen alone in her cage than with her attendants? If it is significantly better, how do you get the attendants out of there leaving the queen alone?

Thanks.
Grid

 

[Peter]

how do you get the attendants out of there leaving the queen alone?

Thanks.
Grid

With great difficulty!!
Second time in last few weeks I heard about introducing queen without attendants. The other time was from soembody in the UK who thought it would be more hygenic but didn't know how you were meant to do it without risking damaging or losing the queen.
Is there some specific reason to do it?

 

[Grid]

The reasons I have read are that without the attendants, the hive is more likely to accept her as there is only one insect to accept - a queen - and not 8 or 10 bugs. I have also read that the attendants might accidentally kill the queen in a mis-guided attempt to protect her from the other bees.

It all sounds dodgy to me, but then I am relatively inexperienced, so dodgy to me might be common sense to most.

:scratch:

Grid

 

[fish_stix]

LOL! Did you ever wonder how some people come up with these ideas? Did they ask the bees? Did they sit there and do a study of the queen cage while the attendants were causing all this trouble? I have never, in 50 years around bees, ever bothered to remove the attendants from a queen cage. My gosh folks; you're placing 5 bees in a hive with thousands of other bees. Do you think the multitude feels threatened by 5 bees? I don't think so! But then, I don't have the time to sit and study ridiculous self-made suppositions either.