Advice please. What would you do?

[Variable]

First season with bees and boy has it been fun! I have created a problem for myself and would like a little advice on how I should proceed. I am limited on time so I hope advice comes in quickly as I have to make a decision in the next few hours.... Here is the backstory.

I have a hive that I can not keep a queen in. They have now superseded two times. They stated as a package install on 4/21/14 and within 2 weeks had superseded the queen. (Frankly I think it is too hot where I put this hive as the sun reflects off the house (white paint on the south side) and just bakes that area.. anyways....) They made a new queen and she was working for almost a month when they superseded her again. This time they were not successful (or so I thought) and after a few weeks of no eggs or larva I pulled a frame of mostly eggs (and the bees on the frame without the queen) from another hive and installed it. That was on 7/24/2014.  Checked yesterday (8/4/2014) and the frame I installed has a few queen cells. This is good.... until I found fresh eggs and larva.... and then the queen. So I am not sure if I just missed here (and man did I look!) or what but I put in the frame and they made queen cells so it seems even the bees could not find the queen. I only have a little time until they start to hatch out... my math is based on a 1-2 day old larva being used for a queen so 2 day old larva plus the last 12 days they have been in the hive.. almost to the 16ish day mark...

Now I am not sure what I should do!!!

Let the queen hatch and supersede again? (or maybe swarm??)

Pull the frame with the queen cells and a few from my 2 "good" hives and build a nuc?

Crush the cells?

Did I miss an option?

Thoughts, advice, experience are all wanted and appreciated! Again.. time is short. Thanks for your input!!!!

[hjon71]

My experience is limited being just in my 2nd year, but I'd build a nuc. I only have one hive and want another.

[Dallasbeek]

yep, what hjon71 said.  Getting a little late in the year where you are for guessing games.

Gary

[Wolfer]

I would pull the queen and put her in the nuc. When bees build supersedure cells you can bet there's a reason. That reason is often not obvious to us.

Often I think it's because she didn't mate with enough drones and her QMP is low. She may be working good now but may become a drone layer later on if she lives long enough.

This is just my opinion and it ain't worth very much!

[flyboy]

Bee advised that this bit of advice is from a first year beek.  :-D

Might be an idea to mark the queen(s). That way you have a better idea of what is happening.

It's actually pretty easy. My bee inspector did it by holding her by the wings, but I was a wimp and just did it freehand with a Q-tip. I have ordered these http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-3-5-10pc-Queen-Clip-Bee-Catcher-Cage-Beekeeping-Beekeeper-Bee-Tool-Equip-New-/311011299232?ssPageName=ADME:L:OC:CA:3160

and may try to make these http://www.ebay.com/itm/Queen-Bee-Marker-Marking-Cage-Bottle-Soft-Plunger-Beekeeping-Beekeeper-EquipQu-/281378593263?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item41837899ef

[rookie2531]

That would be a tough call if I were you. I don't know your part of country's weather. I probably would agree about the five frame nuc. Don't know what caused it in the first place. I would be thinking about that before it happens again. More experienced beeks say to stay out of hive right before the queens hatches all the way up to a week of laying, as to not upset the nurse bees and kill her. Also, if you were in it a lot then maybe you damaged her and if something is wrong with her they will supercede. After seperating and if they don't build up both hives full, combine and keep the best layer.

1st. Year rookie advise.

[Variable]

Thanks all! We had our monthly beekeeping club meeting last night and I had the opportunity to talk to some Master Beekeepers. Both gave me the same advise. "Build a Nuc" So I left the meeting early, got home just before sunset and pulled the frame with the QC, removed the queen from that frame (kept her in the original/mother hive) and put it (the frame) in a 5 frame medium Nuc. Then went to another hive and pulled two frames of honey and pollen and one with some stores and some capped brood (no open brood or eggs). I also made sure that the queen from the second hive stayed with that hive and did not get put in the Nuc. I also pulled a frame from the second hive and shook the bees into the Nuc.

Now I will wait a few weeks before I go into either hive again. If they fail to make a queen (in the Nuc) I can get a queen, on a frame with brood, for $35 from the club. Not that my wife wants me to "spend more money on those darn bees!" but I would rather spend $35 and have a small chance of overwintering a Nuc than not spend the money and the hive dies....

Thanks again to all who offered advice. This post can now be ignored.

[jayj200]

they make shade fabric screen. one can get at home depot lowes.

hang this from the sofit fascia to cool the reflected heat from the wall

or move the hive

try these and you may slow the girls down. during the coldest part of the winter one may want to
remove the shade keeping the hive warmer

[Variable]

Jayj200,
Thanks for the input. I brought it up to my wife yesterday.... her response was less than enthusiastic...
To quote her "That would be f^$#ing ugly!"
So I guess I need to move the girls. That is not a big deal other than the fact that the hive is connected to my home network to dump some hive data to the internet....
So I have run a Ethernet cable out to where my other hives are and am pulling power this weekend. Now I will have to wait until the weather turns colder (so I can screen them in for a few days) to move the hive. OR I get to take the hive a few miles out (no internet... no live hive data  :() leave it for a few days and then bring it back and put it with the others..... either way does not sound like "fun".

[hjon71]

The "rule" has been debunked pretty much by several beeks here, myself included.
Early morning or late afternoon, Just place the hive where you want it and cover the entrance with some leafy branches. They will reorient without the big move. You might get some foragers to congregate at the old hive site for a day or two but they will figure it out soon enough.

[Variable]

Hjon71,
Thanks. I had heard the same thing about them reorienting after branches are put in the way. I may give that a try and report back on how it went. (I should start a new topic for that....) For now I just need to get some power over there to run my electronics so I can get the data back online in real time.

On a side note about the nuc. I looked into it yesterday as I just could not stand the wait any longer and while I did not SEE the queen I sure saw sign of her presence. There were eggs and very young larva on 2 frames!!!  I sure hope we get a good fall flow..... So now with 3 hives and a nuc I am feeling pretty good about the bees.
This has sure been a fun ride!

[jayj200]

Jayj200,
Thanks for the input. I brought it up to my wife yesterday.... her response was less than enthusiastic...
To quote her "That would be f^$#ing ugly!"
So I guess I need to move the girls. That is not a big deal other than the fact that the hive is connected to my home network to dump some hive data to the internet....
So I have run a Ethernet cable out to where my other hives are and am pulling power this weekend. Now I will have to wait until the weather turns colder (so I can screen them in for a few days) to move the hive. OR I get to take the hive a few miles out (no internet... no live hive data  :() leave it for a few days and then bring it back and put it with the others..... either way does not sound like "fun".

is it in the back of the house
most houses are kind of ugly in the back. pool pumps and air conditioners. we have made those consesions long ago.
one could use a roll up shade curtain. you wanted fast
ya don't have to move the hive. It is convenient where they are so... who ya trying to impress? the eyes in the sky. it is only for a short season.
then put a hedge between the house and the hive. or move the box a few feet.
they will find the hive no problem.

[rober]

sounds more like he's trying to keep the wife happy. I'm building a 12' deep by 22' wide all season room off of the back of my house for the same reason. red green ( the new red green show ) used to always say if 'women don't find you handsome then they ought to find you handy'

[JackM]

Don't think he is going to make her happy, she doesn't like the bees ....from his posts.