Hello
Well went out to see if this hive had built any more queen cells and they did but they seem to not bother with the new queen until i destroyed all the cells now they have no more eggs and larvae to build queen cells from. And i also put the new queen into a old cage where they could get her full scent instead of being in that plastic cage. Now i am going to keep her in there a couple of days to see if things calm down but if not i need advice on maybe using the new queen to requeen my other hive which is carniolans i know to put the old one in a cage with some workers to keep her alive if the new one does not make it. The new queen i am trying to put in the hive now is a NWC and it is like trying to put a russian queen into a italian hive. How should i requeen another hive if they refuse this one i was going to use the vanilla spray but was told it is not natural to the bees and it repels them. I do not have a nuc to do a split so does anyone have a good idea should i use the spray to mask the smell of this hive and release the queen or go ahead and requeen my gentle hive and how long should i wait once i do decide to requeen the other one i requeened them once when the queen died and they accepted the replacement one with no trouble.
Tom
On a general basis the longer the hive is queenless the more likely to accept a new queen up to the poiont they decide to become laying worker. Waiting a day or even two may improve the chances of acceptance as much as any of the other tactics. If I'm requeening I usually wait at least 24 hours before introducing the new queen.
I know that it can be down after an hour or 2 without a queen but it is just as likely they will ball the new queen. I feel the cost of the queen justifies the more prolonged approach.
If you don't like the idea of vanilla use oil of peppermint--a little dab will do ya-- it does the same thing and is not as repulsive to the bees.
Hello Mr. Bray
I will keep a check on them and see how it will go i see alot more younger bees then i do old ones and they seem to have calm down some.I am not against using the vanilla spray if that will help me in introducing the new queen. I have switched cages i did not like the new one made of plastic it is not like the old kind with more screen to show the queen she is fat so i take it the bees are feeding her but now since she is in the old cage they should be able to get her scent more better and have better access to her scent which i hope will spread thru the colony. And if by monday they have built more queen cells i am going to spray the whole hive down with vanilla and spray her too and release her and see how they act to her. But like you have stated once the smell is gone they should all smell the same even the queen. But where could i find this other oil at and do i add it to my syrup and then spray if you could give me more information on this or do you know where i can go on the web to find this information i would be so greatful.
Tom
If you have peppermint plants handy use a few sprigs in the hive the odor will filter throughout the hive and dissapate as the sprigs wilt. Otherwise use a drop of peppermint from the seasoning cabinet in the kitchen. Just a single eye drop on a frame bar will do.