[clgs]

History too long to go into - but find myself with 2 new packages, only 3 weeks old and an extra queen. Thought one of the packages was queenless so bought another. As I go to install queen find a tiny patch of brood and larva in the hive I thought was motherless.

How can I save this third queen? I have only the supply of package bees to stock up a hive.

 

[AndreiRN]

Your equipment is the key here.
It takes only few thousands of bees to take care of a queen.
If you have a small, really small box, like a mating nuc shake some bees into it and add the queen and move from that location and done.
If not and your other bees are in a 10 frame box get some thin plywood and cut such to fit tight in the box as a divider all the way to the top and this way you can have 2 families in one box for a short time. Before you put the lid cover with plastic that will seal the 2 families and you can open one at the time at inspection. Even at the entrance make a small divider to match the inside plywood. Good luck.

 

[marksmith]

Pinch the queen that had only a 'tiny' amount of brood.... or pull the slow start queen and the frame she is laying on (inlcuding attached bees) and a frame of capped brood from the OTHER package and a frame of stores from the one that can afford to let it go and throw it in the center of a nuc.(2 additional empty frames to the outside)

Inro new queen into the package that you took 'bad' queen from.

You now have 2 hives and a nuc.

 

[clgs]

I do have a nuc box, is that small enough? Otherwise, I'll do the divider.

 

[clgs]

OOHHH thanks for the detail for the nuc. On my way out the door.

 

[D Coates]

I would consider stealing a frame of bees and brood from both new package hives and creating a nuc. It will set back the two hives but keep all three queens going. Make sure to not steal aqueen from the new hives when you steal the respective frame though. With the two stolen frames you'll need to move them over 2 miles away to ensure they don't simply fly back to their original hives though. Leave them alone for a day so they get to know each other and realize they are queenless. Add the queen, let them release her via a sugar plug or marshmallow. Leave them alone for week or so to get her laying. Then pick up the nuc early in the morning or late at night , to ensure you're getting the whole field force and move them to your apiary. It sounds harder than it is.

 

[Countryboy]

You could sell the queen.

Take a small cardboard box and cut a couple inch hole in the top. Cover that hole with screen. Place the queen cage in the cardboard box, and put 8 or 10 worker bees in the cardboard box. Place a jar of sugar syrup over the hole. Keep an eye on the attendant bees, and replace any dead ones with live ones.

This is a simple way to bank a queen for a few weeks if necessary.

 

[clgs]

Thank you all for help. I made the nuc up with frames from the others. This forum is a life saver! for me and my little queen.