Yep. This is the second time this year. The first one happened early enough to deal with (and it worked, thank goodness).
It's too late to rear a new queen so...what can I salvage? There is a bunch of pollen and honey stores (some of the pollen cells have eggs on them!)
Should I just shake the bees and give the boxes to another hive? I'm not thrilled about giving large boxes as supers but I hate to let all the stores go to waste. If I do place the boxes on another hive should I just put it on top or should I put it above the brood nest?
GRRRRRRRRR!
I'm a newb, but here's what I came across when dealing with my own lost queen/laying workers problem:
-Can you buy a new queen anywhere? I'm in Indiana and a number of experienced beeks offered this solution just last week.
-Do the 100-yard shakeout and do a newspaper combine with another hive. That way you're adding extra foragers to the system.
-Let it waste away, freeze the pollen and honey frames for other hives in the winter. (This is what I ended up doing as the hive crashed too far to salvage.)
my $.02
J-
Buying another queen won't be a waste of money or your time. Even if they don't overwinter you'll gain more drawn out comb to use in a hive next year. I requeened one of my hives a few weeks ago and was surprised the laying worker or workers didn't kill her. Plenty of brood now and the hive actually seems to be improving.
i'd shake the bees and freeze the frames. if you want to buy a queen and try to introduce her, you need to read Michael Bush's page on push cages for introducing queens. if you just put one in there you run a good chance of losing her.
at this late date, i'd shake them out and put the boxes away.
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It is better join the hive and put the last bees work.
Queenless hive is not a problem or laying worker either.
You are getting winter to California? Strange?
Quote from: kathyp on July 29, 2010, 08:26:32 PM
at this late date, i'd shake them out and put the boxes away.
There is no reason to that
shaking them out will accomplish the same as combining but will save stacking extra boxes on the hives. the other hives will benefit from the extra workers. yes, there is winter in CA. not winter like i have, or you have, but a reduction of daylight and reduction, if not cessation of laying.