Updates after vacation

Donovan J · August 14, 2019, 02:33:50 AM

Ive been off on vacation for the past 9 days and just came back. I checked the hives today and heres the breakdown.

Hive 1 (Queen Tulip) (Original hive): Tore down huge queen cells. A swarm this late is suicide for the hive.

Hive 2 (Queen Rose: Original Queen) (June split from Hive 1): Still trucking along. Needs a second box soon.

Hive 3 (Queen Nessie) (Swarm from Hive 1): A little messy cross comb but easily fixed. Quart of 1:1 sugar syrup added as this hive has almost no stores.

Hive 4 (July Split from Hive 2): I'm happy to announce that a queen has hatched and has mating sign! Still not queen right. She will be laying in the next week though!

I hope all my hives make it but I think there will be some losses. Hive 1 looks to be the most likely to make it followed by Hive 2. Hive 4 looks okay but I'm worried about Hive 3. They have some comb but not a lot of stores. I'm planning on feeding them through the fall and giving the other hives a little feeding of 2:1 in September to give them a boost.

iddee · August 14, 2019, 06:39:55 AM

""Hive 1 (Queen Tulip) (Original hive): Tore down huge queen cells. A swarm this late is suicide for the hive.""

Removing queen cells before swarm is murder, not suicide. They will swarm anyway and have no way to requeen themselves.

Acebird · August 14, 2019, 08:28:55 AM

Quote from: Xerox on August 14, 2019, 02:33:50 AM
Hive 1 looks to be the most likely to make it followed by Hive 2.

Hive one is doubtful and you made it worse.

Donovan J · August 14, 2019, 12:49:12 PM

Quote from: iddee on August 14, 2019, 06:39:55 AM
""Hive 1 (Queen Tulip) (Original hive): Tore down huge queen cells. A swarm this late is suicide for the hive.""

Removing queen cells before swarm is murder, not suicide. They will swarm anyway and have no way to requeen themselves.

Oh shoot I forgot. I don't have the supplies right now to do a split. I will probably go get some while I'm getting varroa treatment. If they don't make anymore queen cells I will supply a frame of eggs from queen Rose.

Donovan J · August 14, 2019, 12:51:37 PM

Quote from: Acebird on August 14, 2019, 08:28:55 AM
Quote from: Xerox on August 14, 2019, 02:33:50 AM
Hive 1 looks to be the most likely to make it followed by Hive 2.

Hive one is doubtful and you made it worse.

Could I split the hive in half and leave the queen in one half and tear down all the cells in the other, then put that queen cell-less part on top of queen Rose? Its a crazy idea but it might work.

iddee · August 14, 2019, 01:17:35 PM

I would put queen in 3 frame split until new queen is laying, then kill her and combine the split back to the hive.
If new queen doesn't make it, combine the queen back to the hive with the split.

I never destroy queen cells.

Donovan J · August 14, 2019, 05:33:13 PM

Quote from: iddee on August 14, 2019, 01:17:35 PM
I would put queen in 3 frame split until new queen is laying, then kill her and combine the split back to the hive.
If new queen doesn't make it, combine the queen back to the hive with the split.

I never destroy queen cells.

With my weather fall is coming in fast. I like this queen and would hate to kill her. I don't have any nucs because the stores around here don't supply them. Why does my queen have to have swarming genetics. I will split the hive and put queen Tulip into another 10-frame hive. I will supply eggs to Hive 1 so they can make a new queen and feed the new Hive 5 like crazy. I will also take the super off of Hive 1 because they only built a little comb and after that haven't been using it. I will need to make a new hive stand setup because I have run out of room on the one I have now.