[whalers]

I'm going to be replacing a queen this Friday. I pick up the queen when I go to get the packages I purchased this year. so my question is - can I remove the old queen the day before (Thursday)? Hive would be queenless about 24 hours.

 

[Michael Bush]

I would never assume a queen is going to arrive on time and alive. I would not remove a queen before I had the new queen in my hand, alive and kicking. I definitely would not dispose of a queen on the assumption that the new queen is going to arrive on time and alive. Even if I had the queen in my hand, I would put the old queen in a nuc until the new queen is laying.

 

[jfb58]

Ok, say the queens are in hand, would it be best to introduce the new queen into a newly made nuc until it is accepted and laying, then gradually shift brood frames in with the new queen? Would that lead to maximum acceptance of new queens?

 

[Michael Bush]

Yes, it would probably maximize the odds, but the odds, if you make them queenless overnight, will be very good as it is. I would wait until I had the queen in hand, pull the frame the old queen is on and put that and a frame of honey in a nuc box. The next day I would introduce the new queen in a candy cage (which she probably came in). In two weeks I'd come back and check on the introduced queen and see that she is laying. Then you can do as you wish with the old queen. I'd probably just leave her in the nuc and see what happens. That way I have a spare queen around...

 

[whalers]

Thanks Michael, that all makes sense. Reason for replacement is that queen is laying poorly and the hive appears it would not be able to make it on its own. Started out with a pancake sized patch on two frames and then laying has fallen off while other hives I have are really beginning to boom. This hive swarmed last fall real late. They made it through the winter but a weak hive seems to have produced a weak queen.

 

[Michael Bush]

Sometimes you put a queen like that in a nuc and she finally gets into gear and makes a good queen. Or she doesn't...

 

[whalers]

Sounds like its worth a try so I'm going to do it. You think I should still wait until I have the new queen in hand to remove the old queen?

 

[Gilligan]

I would wait until I had the queen in hand, pull the frame the old queen is on and put that and a frame of honey in a nuc box. The next day I would introduce the new queen in a candy cage (which she probably came in). In two weeks I'd come back and check on the introduced queen and see that she is laying.

..