Laying workers

[sharonh]

Finman, you read one of my posts and agreed with it ... I am seriously humbled - unfortunately, just about everyone since my post has said that I was wrong ! Even I thought I was wrong after reading Hooper and Cramp again !!

pargyle,
Thanks again for all your help in this. Really appreciate it. This is the plan i decided and hope it goes to plan. DLW hive is ten foot, from Q right hive and Q right nuc. Going to rehouse nuc in a new hive on their position. they will need the space before shaking out DLW hive. when i brush of each and every frame. the hive beside the nuc is very strong so they should be fine with a bit of begging at the entrance. As the nuc wouldn't be as strong in numbers, when i put them in new BB, i will keep entrance well reduced so the guard bees can cope with a sudden influx of bees begging to get in. Should i leave the nuc a few days after rehousing in new BB before doing the initial shake out of the DLW hive?

Thanks again for all the advice.
Regards Sharon

 

[pargyle]

pargyle,
Thanks again for all your help in this. Really appreciate it. This is the plan i decided and hope it goes to plan. DLW hive is ten foot, from Q right hive and Q right nuc. Going to rehouse nuc in a new hive on their position. they will need the space before shaking out DLW hive. when i brush of each and every frame. the hive beside the nuc is very strong so they should be fine with a bit of begging at the entrance. As the nuc wouldn't be as strong in numbers, when i put them in new BB, i will keep entrance well reduced so the guard bees can cope with a sudden influx of bees begging to get in. Should i leave the nuc a few days after rehousing in new BB before doing the initial shake out of the DLW hive?

Thanks again for all the advice.
Regards Sharon

Well, if it was me I would just get on an do it ... i wouldn't be inclined to put a 2 frame nuc into a Brood box though ... I'd leave the nuc as it is and just see what happens. If a lot of bees go into the nuc then you can re-hive them later on ... if they don't then you can nick a frame or two of brood from your other hive to put in the nuc to increase the colony size and look at overwintering the nuc as they are. Lots of insulation and feeding I would suggest.

Finman doesn't think it's going to be an issue combining/shaking out ... the hope is that all the bees in the DLW hive find their way into either the queen right hive or the Nuc and any laying workers stop laying when they come into contact with a QR colony.

There have been words of caution that you might get the queen killed but ... it's getting late in the season, as I said initially, bees are not stupid creatures and what are your alternatives ?

Go for it .... faint heart ne'er ... etc. !!