Advice needed--queenless swarms

[yoderski]

4 weeks ago I obtained 2 good sized swarms from a feral hive in a building.  Both swarms were combined in one hive when it appeared that there was no good queen in the first.  Now there is still no brood at all, although the hive is very strong, with all of 10 of the frames drawn out and a good bit of nectar and honey. I find no evidence of a queen.   Last week, I obtained a very small softball sized swarm from another place, and wonder of wonders, they have a very plump queen with them.  They are such a small swarm that I was wondering whether I could somehow use that queen for my other 2 swarm hive--sort of all one big happy family?  I have another hive that has brood in it, and maybe that would be the better part of valor to use that for them to make their own queen.

[Brian D. Bray]

4 weeks ago I obtained 2 good sized swarms from a feral hive in a building.  Both swarms were combined in one hive when it appeared that there was no good queen in the first.  Now there is still no brood at all, although the hive is very strong, with all of 10 of the frames drawn out and a good bit of nectar and honey. I find no evidence of a queen.   Last week, I obtained a very small softball sized swarm from another place, and wonder of wonders, they have a very plump queen with them.  They are such a small swarm that I was wondering whether I could somehow use that queen for my other 2 swarm hive--sort of all one big happy family?  I have another hive that has brood in it, and maybe that would be the better part of valor to use that for them to make their own queen.

Put the small swarm above the larger one using a divider screen and allow an entrance for both swarms.  The presence of the queen in the small swarm might cause any queen in the larger to start laying.  If not just remove the divider screen at some point to combine the swarms.  This way you don't risk your known queen and can still seperate the swarms if a queen makes itself known.

[Ross]

I would first give the big hive a frame of eggs/brood and see if they start queen cells.  If they do, give them the queen, they need one.  If they don't, they will likely kill the new queen because they already have one that hasn't started laying yet.  Most swarms aren't queenless, but a good many swarm with virgins and may take 2-3 weeks to start laying.