managing a queenless hive

[rober]

I have a strong hive that appears to be queenless. lots of bees but no brood & I checked both boxes thoroughly. I know I may have missed her. I gave then syrup & will check again in a week. I have some queens due to arrive in a couple of weeks. if I break them down into a single deep & put them atop another hive with a double screen would that keep them from going into a laying worker mode? or would putting a couple of used queen cages on the hive trick them into thinking that they were queenright?

[Jacobs]

I would put a brood frame with eggs and larvae from another hive into the one you suspect is queenless.  I always put them in the top super in the number 4 position from the left (counting from behind the hives).  That way I don't have to go digging in a hive and I don't have to try and remember where I put the diagnostic frame.  You can check the frame in 4 days to see if they are drawing emergency queen cells.  If not, there is probably a queen you missed.  If they are drawing emergency cells, the brood smell will keep the hive from going laying worker and the additional bees will help keep the hive from dwindling.  If this means that your worst problem is what to do with an extra queen in a couple of weeks, that is a good problem to have.

[rober]

duh-uh. this what happens when you do not think things thru. I have actually done this in the past. thanks for knocking the cobwebs out of my brain pan!!

[Perry]

Good advice from Jacobs!

[rober]

I know. I followed it last year! \

[LazyBkpr]

I know. I followed it last year! \

   LOL welcome to the club rober. in this club your never alone! 

[Jacobs]

What you experienced is just the functional equivalent of walking out of a room and walking back in again to remember why you were going there in the first place--something I do almost every day.

[rober]

I spend 1/2 of my day looking for stuff & the other 1/2 losing it again. . and by the way, I just had an idea. I think i'll put a frame of brood in this hive 

[rober]

the good news is I got a frame of brood with eggs & a queen cell from a friend. the possible bad side is the cell is from a Texas weaver queen so the hive could end up being cranky. I did not have time to get to the outyard before dark so I put the frame in an empty deep, & put the box on a hive here at the house & put a queen excluder under it.

[Mikey N.C.]

I talked with Lee about bweaver queens, he said they can be hot.

[rober]

I know dat'. this hive will be going to my yard located at an unpopulated farm. I should know their disposition by the time my 1st queen shipment arrives. if they are really really really mean I'll re-queen.