I split my hive in 3 nucs a month ago to prevent swarming. The old queen is doing fine with lots of eggs and broods. The 2 new queens from the swarm cells came back in each own nuc 2 weeks ago. I checked these 2 new nucs today. There were foraging activities. The workers pack 3 out of 5 deep frames with nectar and pollen. I found the young queens walking around but no eggs nor brood. Is that normal for the queen not laying eggs this time of the year in Northwest Florida? Any suggestions? Thanks
That is not normal, nor is it unheard of. I would give them one more week. If not laying by then, I would replace them.
Check back over your weather when the queens were due for mating flights, if there was a period of bad weather then the queens may be behind in laying.
Are the bees polishing cells in preparation of their new queen laying?
Same advice as "iddee", wait a bit longer, or put a frame of brood with eggs in and see what happens, the bees can't supersede a queen without some eggs.
The nuc will now not have any brood left now so some more brood will keep the hive going forward even if the new queens start laying, plus give some nurse bees for the future
Thanks for answering. Come to think about it, we have many rainy days this past month. I'll wait a week and check them queens again.
Add a frame of brood with eggs as Old said.
Best advise.
After 6 weeks though it's a tough call.
Requeen or combine.
All good replies ...
The only comment I'd add to the above is to examine the brood combs: if the workers are leaving a clear space for brood below the nectar and pollen they're stashing away, that bodes well - as they may know something that we humans don't. It's not a guarantee, but just a good sign. However, giving a frame of brood to each nuc would certainly be a good insurance.
LJ
You need to keep the bees on the frames when you transfer them, as they will be the nurse bees to look after the brood.
We give every body a dusting with icing sugar, new frame and others, they all smell the same and when we have finished licking the icing sugar off we are all mates, hopefully.
I like know where the queen is in the donor hive, find her and put the frame aside, so when you select your frame you don't transfer her as well.
Sorry if I am telling you how to suck eggs!
A good suggestion someone here made... To avoid accidentally transferring the queen with the brood, shake off all bees and then place brood frames to be transferred in an empty box above a queen excluder and leave overnight. Nurse bees will move back onto the frames and you can transfer them the next day.
After a week waiting, I checked the 2 nucs with new queens with an intention to add a brood frame in each as suggested here. I found they both have 3 frames of new broods. Thanks for all the help.