Hi All! Just installed two Nucs last Monday. Hive 1 is going gangbusters - that little lady is laying like a champ and there is uncapped brood everywhere! Hive 2 is another story. They seem calm and content, gathering pollen and nectar, no signs of queen cups anywhere - but no uncapped larvae that I can see. At what point do I worry about this?
did you see the queen in #2?
a nuc should have ongoing brood rearing. if the other hive is going gangbusters, swap a frame of eggs from it to the one with no brood. check back in 24 hours and see if they have started queen cells. you won't hurt the donor hive. that queen will just fill the replacement comb with more eggs.
Yes, we saw the queens in both hives and both appeared to be active and "well". I did call the beek we got the nucs from and he suggested that the stress of transport and moving into a new hive combined with cool, wet weather this week may have just delayed her laying. His suggestion was to give her until Thursday, see if there is any new brood and, if not, he would provide a replacement queen. Thoughts on this option vs. giving a frame of brood from the other hive?
Give em a frame of brood anyway! If your strong hive is going bang busters, they won't miss it and if nothing else, the influx of young bees might be just what she needs to take off.
Thank you all for the advice! I appreciate your expertise and information!