What do you do? I think colonies with drone laying queens are basically finished and the best thing to do is to move the box away and shake the bees off the frames into the air. The bees will then move into your other colonies. However, you could put your good frame into a nuc box (after shaking the bees off) and put the nuc box where your brood box is now. Then shake the bees in the air and let them fly back to the nuc box. (with a feeder with feed on) If they haven't made a queen cell on your introduced frame they think they still have a queen. If you shake the bees off the frames 12 feet away any queen that is there won't find her way back - but the flying bees will. Then after a few days you could put in a frame with eggs. A good brood brake will also reduce the mite problem that are vectoring the deformed wing virus. Of course, if you had one, a frame with a queen cell on placed in the nuc box for the flying bees to return home to would be ideal.
Thanks for your comments very useful, so here is the story from here, I have ordered in a mated Queen, the first time I have done this. I have culled all the drone brood, so hard to find the queen with so many drones. I took this opportunity to Instavap the colony. Could really do with finding the queen if there is one before I introduce the new one. Fingers crossed
I admire your optimism but I'd have shook that out and called it a day with them.
What do you do?
I think colonies with drone laying queens are basically finished and the best thing to do is to move the box away and shake the bees off the frames into the air. The bees will then move into your other colonies.
However, you could put your good frame into a nuc box (after shaking the bees off) and put the nuc box where your brood box is now. Then shake the bees in the air and let them fly back to the nuc box. (with a feeder with feed on)
If they haven't made a queen cell on your introduced frame they think they still have a queen.
If you shake the bees off the frames 12 feet away any queen that is there won't find her way back - but the flying bees will. Then after a few days you could put in a frame with eggs. A good brood brake will also reduce the mite problem that are vectoring the deformed wing virus.
Of course, if you had one, a frame with a queen cell on placed in the nuc box for the flying bees to return home to would be ideal.
Thanks for your comments very useful, so here is the story from here, I have ordered in a mated Queen, the first time I have done this.
I have culled all the drone brood, so hard to find the queen with so many drones. I took this opportunity to Instavap the colony.
Could really do with finding the queen if there is one before I introduce the new one.
Fingers crossed