I admit I’m new to this too, so check my work, but generally, workers live 5-6 weeks during spring and summer, so if you wait, you’ll have an empty hive in a month or two. If you want to keep the hive separate, you need the new queen introduced and laying ASAP. Otherwise, you might consider folding those bees into your active hive.
I took your advice and didn't wait. I'm happy with the results! Putting in the new queen: th-cam.com/video/iToV7oOEacQ/w-d-xo.html Checking on her 2 weeks later: th-cam.com/video/E5PEbTTlOqs/w-d-xo.html
Hi There! The 1st frame you pulled, has 2 spots of wonky comb, which is typical of foundation that's not properly coated in wax. It's up to you, but I would suggest you remove those 2 pieces of comb and rub more wax on the foundation to encourage them to drawl the comb properly. I would rub more wax on any additional frames that have spots where the bees haven't drawn or seemed to have skipped spot of foundation. You should either purchase a queen or take a frame of eggs from the other colony and let they raise a new queen.
Oh thank you for pointing that out! I'll remove that wonky comb next time. The seller insisted these are 3x coated frames, but I can't tell the difference. Luckily, I now have some wax after scraping off the burr comb, and picked up a used slow cooker to melt it down. I'm picking up a new queen for the other hive. Stop by for that video soon, and thanks for helping!
I think you’re doing a good job. For a beginner your opening the hive your learning. It doesn’t matter how new you are Get in your hives and look for the queen. If you don’t see her it’s ok. I’ve had weak hives as much as just a small handful of bees make a turnaround and come back strong. I’m not sure 100% but it’s location I’d say I just made a 4 way splits out of her. Over come the fear learn to let your bees talk to you, take your gloves off and fill their love for the hive. Yeah get ahold of the ends of the frames without your gloves with out the fear. Just give them the respect they deserve. And always have your smoke with you. Number 1 rule have your smoker at all times. If they get aggressive start pumping smoke in front and back of you. Make it strong yeah. Ask me how I know. Ok Lord bless ya.
Even if you still have a queen on the weak hive, you should get a new one in there. No brood, no larvae and no eggs means that hive is just waiting to die, and time’s running out. In a strong hive, if the queen stops laying, the hive will kill her and raise a new queen. Looks like yours missed the boat on that tactic.
She is not there no eggs and no brood you need to take pictures and contact your seller he will replace it if they are reputable because you can't fix it because you need resources from another hive if you re-Queen it you need nurse bees and a frame of brood to help the new queen out because it is going to be too long from the time she lays an egg to the time the brood hatches the current bees will die before that happens it will be real close. My suggestion is combine the hives or buy another nuc and make sure there is brood and a queen before you take it home and you can combine the weaker hive with the new nuc. On a side note because they say triple wax it isn't always the case get some beeswax and a paint brush and melt the wax or rub or paint it on all the new frames before you use them
Thanks for the advice! Now that I have some wax and a slow cooker, I'll prep the next frames. I contacted the seller and I'm getting a new queen. Check back for the next video where I'll introduce her to the hive. I'll take your advice and swap a frame of brood too.
I admit I’m new to this too, so check my work, but generally, workers live 5-6 weeks during spring and summer, so if you wait, you’ll have an empty hive in a month or two. If you want to keep the hive separate, you need the new queen introduced and laying ASAP. Otherwise, you might consider folding those bees into your active hive.
I took your advice and didn't wait. I'm happy with the results!
Putting in the new queen:
th-cam.com/video/iToV7oOEacQ/w-d-xo.html
Checking on her 2 weeks later:
th-cam.com/video/E5PEbTTlOqs/w-d-xo.html
Hi There! The 1st frame you pulled, has 2 spots of wonky comb, which is typical of foundation that's not properly coated in wax. It's up to you, but I would suggest you remove those 2 pieces of comb and rub more wax on the foundation to encourage them to drawl the comb properly. I would rub more wax on any additional frames that have spots where the bees haven't drawn or seemed to have skipped spot of foundation. You should either purchase a queen or take a frame of eggs from the other colony and let they raise a new queen.
Oh thank you for pointing that out! I'll remove that wonky comb next time. The seller insisted these are 3x coated frames, but I can't tell the difference. Luckily, I now have some wax after scraping off the burr comb, and picked up a used slow cooker to melt it down.
I'm picking up a new queen for the other hive. Stop by for that video soon, and thanks for helping!
I think you’re doing a good job. For a beginner your opening the hive your learning. It doesn’t matter how new you are Get in your hives and look for the queen. If you don’t see her it’s ok. I’ve had weak hives as much as just a small handful of bees make a turnaround and come back strong. I’m not sure 100% but it’s location I’d say I just made a 4 way splits out of her. Over come the fear learn to let your bees talk to you, take your gloves off and fill their love for the hive. Yeah get ahold of the ends of the frames without your gloves with out the fear. Just give them the respect they deserve. And always have your smoke with you. Number 1 rule have your smoker at all times. If they get aggressive start pumping smoke in front and back of you. Make it strong yeah. Ask me how I know. Ok Lord bless ya.
Thanks for the advice and support! I'll get this hive going again 😁
Even if you still have a queen on the weak hive, you should get a new one in there. No brood, no larvae and no eggs means that hive is just waiting to die, and time’s running out. In a strong hive, if the queen stops laying, the hive will kill her and raise a new queen. Looks like yours missed the boat on that tactic.
How long do you think I have?
What did you start with? Nuc? It looks like they swarmed.
A nuc, yes. They had a low population from the start, and I have never seen the queen in that one hive.
She is not there no eggs and no brood you need to take pictures and contact your seller he will replace it if they are reputable because you can't fix it because you need resources from another hive if you re-Queen it you need nurse bees and a frame of brood to help the new queen out because it is going to be too long from the time she lays an egg to the time the brood hatches the current bees will die before that happens it will be real close. My suggestion is combine the hives or buy another nuc and make sure there is brood and a queen before you take it home and you can combine the weaker hive with the new nuc. On a side note because they say triple wax it isn't always the case get some beeswax and a paint brush and melt the wax or rub or paint it on all the new frames before you use them
Thanks for the advice!
Now that I have some wax and a slow cooker, I'll prep the next frames.
I contacted the seller and I'm getting a new queen. Check back for the next video where I'll introduce her to the hive. I'll take your advice and swap a frame of brood too.