I apologize upfront. I have not done an exaustive search in the archives, and have come right to you with this question.
Hive B, which had queen cells in which I intervened (See https://beemaster.com/forum/index.php?topic=53553.0) is queenless. 14 days ago I destroyed all the queen cells and released the best looking virgin queen back into the hive. Now, two weeks later there is a lot of nextar and probably 10+ frames of bees, but no eggs or larva, and very little capped brood left.
My RESOURCES are...
1. Hive C: A small colony that swarmed from Hive B 15 days ago. This small hive, perhaps four frames of bees, has a few small patches of eggs and brood as of today. But I did not see the queen. It is 50 feet from Hive B.
2. Hive A: A good sized hive which was throwing queencells 10 days ago. I destroyed all the cells, and left the longest, drawn out one. It sits right next to Hive B.
3. A nucleus colony which I created from Hive A, 10 days ago. It also had a long, drawn out queen cell. It is another yard about 2 miles from Hive B
The QUESTIONs:
1. Should I combine the small Hive C with it? What about the 50 feet distance apart?
2. Should I bring back in the nuc, although the queen has not had much time for a mating flight and to lay?
3. Will a queen with her several frames of bees be safe added into hive B? I am not sure about the success of using newspaper in a horizontal hive.
Advice much appreciated.
From Michael Bush's website:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beespanacea.htm
I like this queen calendar, it helps me see things without penciling it out every time.
https://thebeeyard.org/queen-rearing-calendar/
You may still be too early to see eggs depending on the weather?
I have limited experience, but I struggle with patience. I put queen cells in my mating nucs and will force myself to give them nearly a month before checking for eggs and larvae.
Kevin
If your eyes are really good and high confidence in your abilities. Go through Hive B and find the queen, or absence of her. Decide based on what you see. Otherwise, take 1 frame with some eggs and larvae from Hive C. Put it in Hive B. Leave for another 10 days. Go back and find new eggs or a capped queen cell.
Leave Hive A undisturbed for another 10 days.
Leave Hive D undisturbed for another 10 days.
+1 on what HP said.
Alright,
I looked again, and couldn't find a queen, egg, or larva at all in Hive B, so I did as suggested.
I took a pollen and honey frame, as well as some empty comb from Hive B and placed it in the small queenright Hive C,
Then took some comb with a small patch of eggs just beginning to lean sideways (2 day old?) from Hive C and put it in queenless Hive B. I shook off that frame well first.
Now waiting 10 days before I look for a QC in Hive B.
Thanks very much for all the advice.
Bob