BBKA Forum

Introduced a new Buckfast queen to a Q- nuc which I set up with 2 frames capped brood, 1 stores and some foundation and comb frames. This is to re-unite with the donor hive once she has settled and laying.
The re-Queening begins...
Set up the first abelo 14x12 at a new apiary on Monday morning.

Nice Ste - I did the same today, although likely a different method.

I placed a queen in a push-in introduction cages in a decent comb (over empty cells, emerging brood, bee bread and nectar). of the Q- nuc.
I then made up another nuc from the big colony that likes to swarm and did the same push-in method with the other queen. This one will be united with the parent colony once she has been accepted and the queen in said parent colony has been removed.

will return on Saturday to remove the cages and hopefully see the queens have been laying and hopefully the bees have accepted them.

Hope they both get accepted

Disaster....picked up a clipped queen/swarm on Sunday at last visit to out apiary...Inspected them hives today, less than ideal at 10C,. Glad I did, 3 queens AWOL and queen cells everywhere.....WOAH. Knocked everything back to 1 open queen cell (I hope, fingers crossed). I think I can safely say that buggers up any honey collection from that apiary for a while.

I can not understand why..we did have nice weather in April but now it is like winter again..

Cheers Ste.

Nigel that sounds like a nightmare. What's your plan of action?

Normally I'd KO all queen cells and add frame of eggs from Island mated Buckfast, but as my last one of these has decided to stop laying.....
So KOed cells to one per hive (I hope) and let them get on with it. I've one queen recovered but other 2 are nowhere in sight and as one was unclipped she could be anywhere.

Great catch, brilliant

Yesterday I put clearer boards on four colonys 6 supers to come of.
Checked one of the nucs I'd made up from a colony, removed all but two good ripe queen cells.
Checked the other three and there's virgin queen's in each walking around.
Went through the Italian hybrids and they need a demaree even after taking a 4 frame nuc from this colony- very aggressive they are, I can't wait to requeen them.
Another beek who lost his hives over the winter is having some nucs of me when there ready for free.

Nice gesture on the nucs Mark..