Recently I picked up a small swarm, popped it in a split Nuc, went through a few times to locate a queen or eggs. Surprisingly I could t spot a queen on such a few frames of bees. Eventually eggs were found, but then I noticed multiple eggs in occasional cells. All at the bottom of the cells though. I let it carry on, checked back and sure enough all drone brood.
Shortly after that my buckfast hive I'd split, it's virgin swarmed I caught that one, hived, after a few times through no queen, then One day eggs, on a few frames, I thought brilliant, left it a while checked back and 5 frames of eggs. Now I'm spotting eggs on top of pollen a and mutliple eggs in cells. Sure enough the first frames are being drawn out to drone brood.
To rectify I've added 1 frame to each from good hive with lavae in ( as I read this will reduce the laying workers eventually then I can introduce a queen effectively.)
My question is this, as I believe I have caught it and identified it while frames have eggs and uncapped lavae in, can I pull the frames to kill off the drone brood/eggs the return later for them to be cleaned out? With drawn out frames being at a premium is this a solution.
Or is there any benefit to allowing the drone brood to develop?
I'm open to suggestions, and people's experiences.
I'm future I'm going to be a bit more gentle a out my swarm collection techniques, as no doubt this is what has made them Q- either that or I've been unfortunate to collect a drone laying queen and lost the virgin on her mating flight.
(May have something to do with the sparrows using the apiary as a feeding station.)
Really appreciate any assistance here as searching hasn't given any suggestions.
https://pasteboard.co/JdIDKIe.jpg
https://pasteboard.co/JdIErzN.jpg
Shortly after that my buckfast hive I'd split, it's virgin swarmed I caught that one, hived, after a few times through no queen, then One day eggs, on a few frames, I thought brilliant, left it a while checked back and 5 frames of eggs. Now I'm spotting eggs on top of pollen a and mutliple eggs in cells. Sure enough the first frames are being drawn out to drone brood.
To rectify I've added 1 frame to each from good hive with lavae in ( as I read this will reduce the laying workers eventually then I can introduce a queen effectively.)
My question is this, as I believe I have caught it and identified it while frames have eggs and uncapped lavae in, can I pull the frames to kill off the drone brood/eggs the return later for them to be cleaned out? With drawn out frames being at a premium is this a solution.
Or is there any benefit to allowing the drone brood to develop?
I'm open to suggestions, and people's experiences.
I'm future I'm going to be a bit more gentle a out my swarm collection techniques, as no doubt this is what has made them Q- either that or I've been unfortunate to collect a drone laying queen and lost the virgin on her mating flight.
(May have something to do with the sparrows using the apiary as a feeding station.)
Really appreciate any assistance here as searching hasn't given any suggestions.
https://pasteboard.co/JdIDKIe.jpg
https://pasteboard.co/JdIErzN.jpg
Last edited by Hbee on 18 Jun 2020, 23:44, edited 1 time in total.