Hi hope you can help. i did a split 2 weeks ago and moved a queen to a new 2 frame NUC. after a week i checked the 2 frame NUC and all looked good I saw the queen and larva. now after a another week the hive looks full of large cell some capped drone brood and I can see drones BUT no queen this week. I have a second hive at about 60% can I add the 2 frames from the NUC to the second hive. I feel Ii have a laying worker will she go if I mix the 2 hives ? Also the NUC is about 10 feet away from the Flow hive (source of NUC) and now after 14 days has eggs and new larva do you think queen went back to the Flow hive.
Hi Andy, welcome! Bear with me, I want to make sure I understand your setup:
You split Hive 1 three weeks ago
The split seems to have no queen and too many drones now, but you saw the queen and larvae about a week ago
You have another, I’ll call it Hive 2, that is 60% full
I’ll assume all of that is correct, and also that #2 is a new colony this season given its not-quite-full status.
So, I’m guessing you split #1 because it was packed & close to swarming, which seems a more likely condition for all the drones you ended up with in the split than laying workers. It takes a lot longer for workers to make that switch (I forget how long, but it’s more than a week ). At 60% Hive 2 can just about afford to donate 1 frame of brood to the split. Make sure it is a good worker brood frame, with lots of capped cells, make sure #2 queen is not on it and don’t shake off the nurse bees - they’ll transfer in and be welcome helpers. Swap out an empty or drone frame from the split if you can, and place it next to the wall of #2, not in the center where you take the brood frame from, so it becomes a honey frame after remaining drones emerge.
Consider whether your split and/or Hive 2 need feeding - I also assume there’s abundant forage now in your part of the world, but weak colonies can still have trouble gathering enough.
Hi thank for getting back to me
i split hive 1 ( FLOW) two weeks ago Monday will be day 16
I put the Queen and 2 frames of brood, Honey and lots of bees in to the Yellow hive 2 Frame NUC.
I was hoping FLOW would make a new Queen (day 16 tomorrow) but Flow is full of larva capped brood did she fly back. ?
Yellow would keep laying and build up to a bigger box
My second Hive (Angie) is a swarm i got in the trap at the end July so not very big at the moment
2 weeks ago I found the Queen and did a split as FLOW is busting out i added the super 4 weeks ago
I now feel the YELLOW 2 frame NUC is Queen less
If i take some pic and send to you will you please take a look
My second year
last year i did to many splits and loss all 5 hive to wax moth so i am very scared for it to happen again.
Hi after reading your email
I reinspected the yellow nuc and now I can see a few larvae but no food or food in hive 2. I now feel this is why things are not looking good. No food. I have now added feeders and some 1:1 syrup
Thank you for your help
). At 60% Hive 2 can just about afford to donate 1 frame of brood to the split. Make sure it is a good worker brood frame, with lots of capped cells, make sure