Yes there is some risk to raise your own queen. Probably about the same a buying one. That being said I raise mine. I probably have 20% that don't make it back from mating flights or don't get properly mated.
I would let them raise their own. However by the time her brood hatches you'll be really low on bees unless you give them a frame of capped brood every 10 days or so.
You can wait until population starts to fall off but I like to keep bees of all ages in the hive.
I have several hives and I use a different hive for the doner and doesn't seem to hurt any of them but will really help this one.
Last year I had a similar situation. While checking to see if my new queen was laying I found her with with a few eggs around her. I actually watched her lay one. I carefully closed the hive up and checked in a week. Much to my surprise every egg she laid had been turned into a queen cell.
Did I damage her putting the frame back in? I'm very careful with any fram but especially when it's got a new queen on it.
Regardless they raised a new one and all is well.
I would let them raise their own. However by the time her brood hatches you'll be really low on bees unless you give them a frame of capped brood every 10 days or so.
You can wait until population starts to fall off but I like to keep bees of all ages in the hive.
I have several hives and I use a different hive for the doner and doesn't seem to hurt any of them but will really help this one.
Last year I had a similar situation. While checking to see if my new queen was laying I found her with with a few eggs around her. I actually watched her lay one. I carefully closed the hive up and checked in a week. Much to my surprise every egg she laid had been turned into a queen cell.
Did I damage her putting the frame back in? I'm very careful with any fram but especially when it's got a new queen on it.
Regardless they raised a new one and all is well.
