It pays to mark the top of the frame of eggs you put in just before you add it in - makes it so much easier knowing which frame to check in the future for emergency cells.
Nice trick ! Thank you, really helpful! Will deffinatly be using it..your making me a much better bee keeper,in my 2nd yr, went from 2 overwintered double deep colonies to 5 single deeps, 2 dbl deep and 2 5 frame nucs,by splitting and adding mated queens and 1 swarm catch! Love love keeping bees!! Thank you so much!
Might end up having to do this with the swarm that moved into an empty nuc yesterday. Will check for eggs in that nuc probably at the weekend (in the old brood frames that were inside). Fingers crossed 🤞
Hi Lawrence, just done this same procedure today with adding a frame of eggs and larvae to two of my colonies you have got me thinking now do I want emergency cells or should I be buying mated queens , I like the idea of new genetics into my apiary if your F1 queens are a decent price you will be getting a order from me my friend. Thank you for sharing this video with us Lawrence mate.
Thanks Lawrence for this really interesting test. You explain things so clearly and in such an enthusiastic manner, we can’t fail to want to give things a try even if we haven’t before. It’s so easy to become a bit lazy and stale after having bees for many years and watching you at work re awakens my experimental side too.Keep them coming. I have just ordered a Queen from you and am looking forward to comparing the performance of her offspring with my other hives……so exciting!
I’ve recently done a split with two frames of brood and eggs from a strong colony to help a fellow beekeeper who lost a colony. They didn’t really draw out any cells (weather was appealing) I added another frame of eggs from the same donor and 4 days later two uncapped queen cells and a really small sealed one. Any thoughts on why they aren’t throwing up an more ? Nice colony well behaved and bringing stores in just don’t see, too fussed in get a new queen. The original queen is still in the donor hive of course.
It is surprising how many swarms don't have Queens I've had quite a few come to my why bait hives and within 10 days there workers laying. On one occasion I had a swarm carry a clipped Queen the Hive was swarming I got down on the floor ready to put the queen in a clip when she came out she went down on the floor before I could get her two bees went down and picked her up and flew off with her into the top of the hedge which I managed to get later with a ladder. Another beekeeper I was talking to said he had a swarm in his bait hive with clipped Queen he couldn't understand how she got there.
Great video! Just wondering how your bees get on under the trees? Is this on the edge of the forest or in the middle? Been offered a site and it wouldn’t get much direct sun only dappled sunlight at best. Thanks again for your hard work and great videos!
@@BlackMountainHoney I thought so too. Had about 6 weeks with only seeing 5-6 eggs in all the frames at a time (all singular bottom of the cell)... even tried doing the shaker box to find the queen... something is going on.
Hi Lawrence, thanks so much for all your videos very helpful for a newbee like me, been watching the series 1-11 So I was given wild bees that had been rescued from a chopped down hollow tree and we don't know if they have a queen there was lots of capped honey but no brood must have died of cold before they were rescued. My problem is we are in our winter over here in Australia and feel I would kill an already stressed hive. If I feed them will they survive the winter without a queen? Your help will be really appreciated
Hi Francine. I think you just have to assume there is a queen and leave them to it. Over winter sometimes they have a brood break so no brood doesn't necessarily mean no queen. I'd leave them to it and assess in the spring when the temps allow.
@@BlackMountainHoney Thanks so much Lawrence will do as you advise 😊 Thanks for such a quick reply. Should I put a front feeder on and feed them 1 : 2 sugar water?
@@MrStreetninja007 I mostly keep them cause they are cool. 7 colonies is plenty of honey for me, my family and friends so I have the luxury being able to manage them in a more natural way; make their own queens, swarm, tons of drones etc. this is good for the local bee community in general as they are mostly feral. I suspect I’m not the only one 🙂
I don’t think a “swarm” would have a Virgin Queen correct. I believe swarms have seasoned, mature egg laying queens correct? Thx, I am a novice trying to learn.
Hi, ive just watched this and wonder if i need to do the same to one of my hives. I had a capped queen cell last week which has now gone but i cant see a queen. Should i wait a couple of weeks incase there is a virgin queen there, or wont it make any difference just to do the experiment?
@@BlackMountainHoney Hiya, after 5 days checked the frame i had put in the suspected queenless hive, and no queencells, but 2 playcups???? Do i have a queen? If so, how long should i leave the hive? Thanks
For me its all about timing. Pay for a mated queen and after 7 days she is laying. Let them use the emergency cells and it could be 5 weeks before she may be laying. Can easily rain for a few weeks, then you have to add a mated queen anyway before they turn laying workers. In certain climates it works fine though as long as they are eggs from a respectable colony
It pays to mark the top of the frame of eggs you put in just before you add it in - makes it so much easier knowing which frame to check in the future for emergency cells.
Nice trick ! Thank you, really helpful! Will deffinatly be using it..your making me a much better bee keeper,in my 2nd yr, went from 2 overwintered double deep colonies to 5 single deeps, 2 dbl deep and 2 5 frame nucs,by splitting and adding mated queens and 1 swarm catch! Love love keeping bees!! Thank you so much!
Very smart and professional big thumbs up 👍🏼 Laurence
Thank you! Cheers Richard!
Captured my first swarm yesterday. Was unsure if I got the queen as I never saw her. Have put a frame a brood in to see if they draw queens.
Might end up having to do this with the swarm that moved into an empty nuc yesterday. Will check for eggs in that nuc probably at the weekend (in the old brood frames that were inside). Fingers crossed 🤞
Hi Lawrence, just done this same procedure today with adding a frame of eggs and larvae to two of my colonies you have got me thinking now do I want emergency cells or should I be buying mated queens , I like the idea of new genetics into my apiary if your F1 queens are a decent price you will be getting a order from me my friend. Thank you for sharing this video with us Lawrence mate.
Cheers Mark! Much appreciated 🙏☺
Thanks Lawrence for this really interesting test. You explain things so clearly and in such an enthusiastic manner, we can’t fail to want to give things a try even if we haven’t before. It’s so easy to become a bit lazy and stale after having bees for many years and watching you at work re awakens my experimental side too.Keep them coming.
I have just ordered a Queen from you and am looking forward to comparing the performance of her offspring with my other hives……so exciting!
Thanks for the kind comments Jane :)
I’ve recently done a split with two frames of brood and eggs from a strong colony to help a fellow beekeeper who lost a colony. They didn’t really draw out any cells (weather was appealing) I added another frame of eggs from the same donor and 4 days later two uncapped queen cells and a really small sealed one. Any thoughts on why they aren’t throwing up an more ? Nice colony well behaved and bringing stores in just don’t see, too fussed in get a new queen. The original queen is still in the donor hive of course.
It is surprising how many swarms don't have Queens I've had quite a few come to my why bait hives and within 10 days there workers laying. On one occasion I had a swarm carry a clipped Queen the Hive was swarming I got down on the floor ready to put the queen in a clip when she came out she went down on the floor before I could get her two bees went down and picked her up and flew off with her into the top of the hedge which I managed to get later with a ladder. Another beekeeper I was talking to said he had a swarm in his bait hive with clipped Queen he couldn't understand how she got there.
Very helpful, thanks so much.
You're welcome!
That’s great information!!!! Thanks!!
We put a frame of brood/eggs with every swarm. Best method for sure.....
Great video! Just wondering how your bees get on under the trees? Is this on the edge of the forest or in the middle? Been offered a site and it wouldn’t get much direct sun only dappled sunlight at best. Thanks again for your hard work and great videos!
Cheers Darryl. Id get them in full sun if possible. Forests do work but try and stay on the edge for air movement and a bit of sunshine
I'm going for this today. Seems pretty straightforward....... 🤔😆
We only have one hive. So how to test? Moved a swarm to a new hive (new to beekeeping) and trying to figure out if queen or not.
when you transfer a frame of eggs is it ok to bring the nurse bees on it?
Thank you for the information
Yeah it’s a real pity that you can’t get overseas top queens by post
Interesting. What happens if you have laying workers?
They won't draw cells but laying workers is very easy to identify without doing any tears. Numerous eggs in each cell
@@BlackMountainHoney I thought so too. Had about 6 weeks with only seeing 5-6 eggs in all the frames at a time (all singular bottom of the cell)... even tried doing the shaker box to find the queen... something is going on.
in one of your videos you had that clear screen for vail. Could you send me a link where I can get it. I think it is not available in USA
Hi Lawrence, thanks so much for all your videos very helpful for a newbee like me, been watching the series 1-11
So I was given wild bees that had been rescued from a chopped down hollow tree and we don't know if they have a queen there was lots of capped honey but no brood must have died of cold before they were rescued. My problem is we are in our winter over here in Australia and feel I would kill an already stressed hive. If I feed them will they survive the winter without a queen? Your help will be really appreciated
Hi Francine. I think you just have to assume there is a queen and leave them to it. Over winter sometimes they have a brood break so no brood doesn't necessarily mean no queen. I'd leave them to it and assess in the spring when the temps allow.
@@BlackMountainHoney Thanks so much Lawrence will do as you advise 😊 Thanks for such a quick reply. Should I put a front feeder on and feed them 1 : 2 sugar water?
I love letting them make their own queens, but I don’t care about honey production. Great video!
Lol never heard a fellow beekeeper say that before
@@MrStreetninja007 I mostly keep them cause they are cool. 7 colonies is plenty of honey for me, my family and friends so I have the luxury being able to manage them in a more natural way; make their own queens, swarm, tons of drones etc. this is good for the local bee community in general as they are mostly feral. I suspect I’m not the only one 🙂
I don’t think a “swarm” would have a Virgin Queen correct. I believe swarms have seasoned, mature egg laying queens correct? Thx, I am a novice trying to learn.
HI LAURENCE WHAT IF ALL THE FRAMES ARE FULL OF STORES NO SIGN OF ANY EGGS WOULD THAT BE QUEEN LESS
No. You need to add a frame of eggs and see if they draw queen cells. Could easily be a failed virgin in there
Ty so much
Hi, ive just watched this and wonder if i need to do the same to one of my hives. I had a capped queen cell last week which has now gone but i cant see a queen. Should i wait a couple of weeks incase there is a virgin queen there, or wont it make any difference just to do the experiment?
Test frame never hurts 😀
@@BlackMountainHoney Hiya, after 5 days checked the frame i had put in the suspected queenless hive, and no queencells, but 2 playcups???? Do i have a queen? If so, how long should i leave the hive? Thanks
Doesn’t it matter if there are young nurse bees as well?
What if you are just starting out! I have zero eggs
Why not just Allow them to create their own queen from these cells?
For me its all about timing. Pay for a mated queen and after 7 days she is laying. Let them use the emergency cells and it could be 5 weeks before she may be laying. Can easily rain for a few weeks, then you have to add a mated queen anyway before they turn laying workers. In certain climates it works fine though as long as they are eggs from a respectable colony
I DID F1 BUCKFAST QUEEN TO START WITH NO SIGN OF HER
Really useful tip. Thanks