What would you do?

[Kris^]

I mentioned last week that my hive #1 had no eggs or brood in it, so I put a fame of eggs and brood into it from another hive to see if they drew out some queen cells.  Went in today and there were no queen cells drawn on the frame, but again, that frame was the only one that had brood on it.  No eggs anywhere else in the hive.  The bees are still bringing in pollen and filling cells with nectar.

This hive had an emergency queen that emerged in late April or early May, and took about a month to start laying, that was performing well through the summer.  My guess is that the hive either 1) swarmed, or 2) superceded the emergency queen a few weeks ago.  Either way, there's gotta be a virgin queen or a just mated queen running around in there, soon to start laying.  Does this assessment sound right?

What would others do if this was your hive?

-- Kris

[leominsterbeeman]

Kris -

Your assessment sounds right.  This is a difficult situation to be in, I was in it in the spring.  

Best bet is to get a queen for this hive.  Even if their  queen is in the hive or  returns shortly from mating flight,  she may not be a good egg layer and then they would be at a disadvange going into the winter, and she won't built up to well.

[mark]

with the past heat and dearth of necter they have shut down egg laying.  i think you just missed seeing the queen 'cause she's now smaller.  my feral hive is in the same state but the queen is there.  i saw her today and it wasn't easy.  
 if they didn't take steps to make a queen yours is there too.  i'm  about to combine two nucs so i will have a queen available if you really need one.  let me know

[Kris^]

i'm  about to combine two nucs so i will have a queen available if you really need one.  let me know

Well, if you're just going to, um -- "dispose" of her, maybe she could be "insurance."  

Need a hand combining?   :)

-- Kris