Bought queen plus superseded queen

Hi All.

Last week I nadired my warre and was going to put an ideal super on the langstroth. When I pulled out the end frame it had a honey arc and nothing else. Same at the other end. This hive has had a chalkbrood problem since I acquired it. I panicked and bought a new mated queen which should come this week. Having done further research I learned they have probably (finally) replaced the queen themselves. I have never seen the queen in this hive.

My question is can I take out the replacement queen and put her in a small nuc, whilst putting the bought queen into the hive? Is it worth keeping the locally raised queen, given the chalkbrood problems this hive has had and the time of season?

Hi Kristal, Iā€™m wondering why you want to requeen your hive as a chalkbrood remedy - is your bought queen bred for hygienic traits perhaps?

Iā€™m genuinely curious because Iā€™ve never dealt with chalkbrood & from what Iā€™ve read it seems to take hold in damp cool conditions that should be addressed first if so.

I hope others more experienced with it will answer :nerd_face: The only idea I have - if thereā€™s something more environmental to do about the chalkbrood - is to make a nuc with your bought queen and a couple of brood & nurse bee frames. Bonus hive!

1 Like

It is a recognized method for dealing with difficult chaclkbrood, @Eva. If all other measures fail, such as dealing with damp, avoiding inspections in cold or wet weather etc, then replacing the queen may help. This is because some queens seem to carry the chalkbrood around the hive, infecting as they walk. Replacing the queen can sometimes help solve this. :blush:

1 Like

Hi Kristal, I agree ā€œBonus hiveā€.
On 2 occasions I dealt with chalk brood by getting rid of the queen after everything else failed. This was after reading about that strategy on this forum. The strategy worked.

That superseded queen of yours might do the trick.

A few things that I observed can lead to chalk brood:
#1 Chilled brood.
#2 Not enough bees to keep the brood warm.
#3 Entrance too large, with added ventilation during damp or cold weather.

2 Likes

You certainly can. There is a lot to be said for locally raised queens. They should be better adapted to your climatic conditions and food storage needs. The queens will have mated with the drones that have performed best in your conditions.
Over generations this local suitability will further improve.

1 Like

Thanks everyone for your input. The issue may have been not enough bees. I had a reducer on for a long time, itā€™s only been the last couple of weeks they kept pushing it off ( stuck on with blue painters tape). I put a hive mat on under the top cover. I also put a frame of capped brood with nurse bees. It has taken a while but it has only been the last couple of days where there is no more chalkbrood in the tray, so I think they have cleaned them all out.

2 Likes