Queenless again

[troutstalker2]

 

  I have a hive that has been queenless for a while, it has a laying worker. I had some queen cells from another hive and put them in along with some brood frames with eggs from a couple of other hives. They produced no queen cells from the brood frames, the queens have hatched and nowhere to be found. I have made 2 thorough inspections and found no queens, eggs, nada. There is not that many bees so I don't think I would miss a queen twice. I would prefer not to combine. Should I keep adding frames with eggs hoping for a queen or try to introduce a mated queen?

Any help would be appreciated

David

[Robo]

Should I keep adding frames with eggs hoping for a queen or try to introduce a mated queen?

The choice is yours, but if they have been without a queen for a while,  you may not have enough of a population left once you do get a queen.  It takes about a month to raise a queen and have her start laying,  and chances are they aren't going to make queen cells with the first batch of eggs you give them.

Seems like some folks have had pretty good luck with a long term introduction of a laying queen.
http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,23359.msg180454.html#msg180454

[bee-nuts]

Robo/David

Have laying workers ever taken flight.  I think I read something about being able to shake the bees like 50 yards away from hive and all field bees flying back to old location and the laying queen does not know how to get back and dies in grass or whatever.  Then hive can feel truly queen-less and you can introduce eggs or new queen. 

Just thought id mention it. If it has been queen-less long enough it should not hurt population much. 

As far as the time it takes to raise a queen robo is correct.  I made a queen cell nuc July third and checked July 28.  I found a really nice looking queen, cleaned cells ready for laying but no eggs yet.  I'm sure she is laying right now but that still makes 21 days for new bees to even hatch so by the time you have new field bees its two months or better.  Point is I would get a mated queen.

[Robo]

Have laying workers ever taken flight.  I think I read something about being able to shake the bees like 50 yards away from hive and all field bees flying back to old location and the laying queen does not know how to get back and dies in grass or whatever.  Then hive can feel truly queen-less and you can introduce eggs or new queen. 

That is a common proclaimed method,  but gives mixed results at best.  Just search the forum and you will find plenty of folks that did not have that work.   Also,  it is not just one laying worker in a hive but multiple, so chances are some of them will make it back.  I;m not even sure I agree with the fact that laying workers can't fly.   

[Joelel]

 

 I have a hive that has been queenless for a while, it has a laying worker. I had some queen cells from another hive and put them in along with some brood frames with eggs from a couple of other hives. They produced no queen cells from the brood frames, the queens have hatched and nowhere to be found. I have made 2 thorough inspections and found no queens, eggs, nada. There is not that many bees so I don't think I would miss a queen twice. I would prefer not to combine. Should I keep adding frames with eggs hoping for a queen or try to introduce a mated queen?

Any help would be appreciated

David

I wouldn't shake them now and try to let them build a queen,it's been to long and don't always work.If you have an other strong hive,shake them ,order a queen and introduce her the same time you take a brood frame and honey if needed from the strong hive. Shake them,introduce the queen and add frames all at the same time.

[Kathyp]

we just had this whole 'shaking out' spat!   :-D  i think the only way it works is if you shake out the hive and do not let them return to it.  shake them out and make them join other hives....and that only works if you have other hives for them to join.

i have ended up doing 3 now.  2 of my own and 1 for another.  my two shake outs were fine.  lost the hives, but saved the bees.  that's all that counts for me.  the other i don't know about.  we did the multiple frames of brood and when the started making queen cells, we took those out and introduced a queen.  they took her, but the hive still looks puny.  maybe it will pick up next year. 

if i were to do it over again, i'd try the slow introduction method as Robo posted, or queen caged under wire mesh over foundation.  either method would be less labor intensive, would save resources from other hives, and hopefully save the laying worker hive.

[Michael Bush]

http://www.bushfarms.com/beeslayingworkers.htm