Author Topic: Finding the Queen in a large colony  (Read 267 times)

ruth_mountford

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Finding the Queen in a large colony
« on: July 13, 2020, 11:59:00 pm »
Finding the Queen in a small colony can be hard enough, at the height of the season it can be almost impossible. Here's how you can make it easier.

You need; two temporary hive stands, a second floor and a second roof. It's only for a few hours, so improvising is fine.

Put one of the stands as close as possible to the problem hive and the second about 10 feet away. Put the second floor on the hive stand next to the problem hive with the entrance facing in the same direction as the problem hive. Move all the supers onto this floor and put the second roof on. Then move the brood box, with floor and Queen excluder still in place, to the stand placed 10 feet away, put the cover board and roof back on and leave them to it for about 4 hours.

When you come back all the flying bees will be coming and going from the supers and all the young bees and Queen will be in the brood box. Now inspect the brood box, use no smoke so that the bees don't run on the comb, keep the frames over the box as you inspect and be as gentle and calm as possible. Rembember the Queen is more likely to be on a frame with brood than a frame with food and be patient in your search, if she is laying an egg she will be half in a cell and you will miss her, so search each frame slowly and carefully.

Good hunting


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