Suggestions required

[darlo]

Hi everyone. I have a dilemma and would consider any advice helpful.

I have a very small colony at the moment, sitting over about 2 frames. In inspection the hive has a queen, plenty of stores, pollen and honey but absolutely no brood. No eggs that I can see and no larvae at any stage.

I am assuming the queen has failed, but she looks healthy enough and is one from last year. Should I buy a queen in and replace her or give her a little more time to prove herself?

Both my hives have been slow to pick up this spring, with the other colony a little further on, over 4 frames and queen right with various stages of larvae. I would have hoped that they were further on at this stage, 13th May 19.

Suggestions?


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[Adam]

With two frames of bees only (is that the correct assumption?) they will struggle to keep brood warm, so if you have a small cosy nuc, that would suit them better. However I suspect that the queen is a duff one and needs replacing. The other option is to unite it to the larger colony to allow it to grow more readily and then split it later in the year.

If she is a drone layer (and you don't know as there's no brood!) a small colony will be very reluctant to rear drone brood as it's the last thing they need.

[darlo]

Thanks Adam. I have a poly much which I can use. Will swap them over tomorrow and see what happens. Will need to hunt for a mates queen in Fife but fear they are too small.

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[Adam]

Two frames of bees could potentially make up to be big enough to get through winter. You could always add a frame of mostly sealed brood from another colony at some time to give them a boost. Bees generally do pretty well in poly nucs. You do need a decent queen though!

[darlo]

I need to get a new queen I think. Need to call out to fellow Fife keepers if they have a mates queen available.

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