# Russian queen



## arnoldhicks (Mar 13, 2011)

shouldn't be just move the nuc to a new yard for a while


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## Belewsboy (Jun 6, 2012)

The nuc will have lots of pollen and honey. Are workers necessary from the start until the nurses grow up to workers? If not necessary, how can I seperate the nurses from the workers?


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## Albatross (Mar 8, 2012)

They are the same thing. In general, the younger bees are nurse bees and the older ones are foragers. But if the hive needs more of one than the other they can and will do whatever job is necessary for the survival of the hive. 
I'm not sure exactly what you are trying to do, but if you want a majority of younger bees (nurse bees) in your nuc, wait until about 2:00 or 3:00 in the afternoon and shake the bees into the nuc.
The majority of foragers will be away at this time, and you'll get mostly nurse bees. Any foragers that were in the hive when you shook them in will go back to the original hive.
I wouldn't even worry about moving the nuc to another place. Just make sure you have the entrance facing the *opposite* direction from the other hive. I helped a friend of mine do it this way, and it worked fine. The two hives were only about six feet apart.


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## Belewsboy (Jun 6, 2012)

I have a Russian hive that swarmed, created a new queen, lost the new queen and there has been no brood or queen cells for about 3 weeks. I don't think this hive can be salvaged due to the age of the existing bees. I ordered a new Russian hybrid queen, but I understand Russian queens are not very well accepted into Italian hives. So I thought I would make a nuc of Italian brood frames and nurses which may accept her more easily. I'll leave her in the cage a day or two longer to help insure acceptance. Am I on the right track?


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## Andrew Dewey (Aug 23, 2005)

When I have introduced Russian Queens into Italian hives I waited 24 hours after removing the original queen before installing the new queen, made sure she was the only bee in the cage (no attendants) and delayed her release into the hive by covering the candy of the queen cage with masking tape, removing the tape after 3 days.


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## Belewsboy (Jun 6, 2012)

Andrew Dewey said:


> made sure she was the only bee in the cage (no attendants)


Why remove the attendants?


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## Dave Burrup (Jul 22, 2008)

The bees from the nuc will react negatively to the presence of the attendants. Hopefully the bees that you are building the nuc from are not older bees from the queenless hive. Put a frame of brood and eggs in and shake in two more frames of bees covering brood. Then leave the cover off of the hive for about about half an hour the older more aggressive bees will leave the hive and go home. You now have a nuc of nurse bees that will be more likely to accept the new queen.


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## Belewsboy (Jun 6, 2012)

The queenless hive is dwindling away I'm sorry to say. They've been queenless for a long time. They're building comb on new foundation now which I can always use. The nuc will be frames from a strong Italian hive with the new Russian Hybrid queen.
My thanks for all the responses and answers.


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## Belewsboy (Jun 6, 2012)

I guess I can assume if I remove the attendants, the nurse bees will start tending the queen rather quickly?


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## Andrew Dewey (Aug 23, 2005)

yes


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## uplander12ga (Sep 16, 2013)

Just out of curiosity, how did this go for you Belewsboy?


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## VARyan (Feb 4, 2013)

Russia doesn't have a queen!!! LOL!! Sorry Couldnt resist.


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## Belewsboy (Jun 6, 2012)

It almost went well. I made up a nuc with existing frames from the dwindling hive and added a frame of brood from the Italian hive. Since there wasn't a huge population of bees I scanned the frames to make sure there was no existing queen. I put the purchased Russian queen cage in and left it in for 3 days. By then they had almost released her. I removed the rest of the candy plug and put the cage back in. I checked 3 days later and she was walking around on some comb. They had accepted her! Checked a week later and she was dead on the screened bottom!


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## uplander12ga (Sep 16, 2013)

Belewsboy said:


> It almost went well. I made up a nuc with existing frames from the dwindling hive and added a frame of brood from the Italian hive. Since there wasn't a huge population of bees I scanned the frames to make sure there was no existing queen. I put the purchased Russian queen cage in and left it in for 3 days. By then they had almost released her. I removed the rest of the candy plug and put the cage back in. I checked 3 days later and she was walking around on some comb. They had accepted her! Checked a week later and she was dead on the screened bottom!


Wow!Wonder what happened??? Any ideas?


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## Belewsboy (Jun 6, 2012)

Yep. They had made another queen and I must have missed her. And I looked really hard before introducing the new queen. $45.00 down the drain! But I will say this...since then I made a couple more dirty splits that requeened on their own. Since they are a mix of yellow and black bees, I assume they are Italian / Russian hybrids. They are quite industrious, good natured and over wintered well. What ever they are, I like them a lot.


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## uplander12ga (Sep 16, 2013)

Glad to hear there was a semi-happy ending to this endeavor. :thumbsup: I'm looking to re-queen this year with a couple Russian queens and appreciate the info.


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## Belewsboy (Jun 6, 2012)

I don't think you'll have any problems. Where are you getting your queens from?


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## uplander12ga (Sep 16, 2013)

Haven't decided quite yet. The place I was hoping to get them from, (Bob Brachmann-Coldcountryqueens.com) as he is only 1/2 hour away from me, is sold out already for 2014.


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## Leather Jim (Jun 30, 2013)

uplander12ga said:


> Haven't decided quite yet. The place I was hoping to get them from, (Bob Brachmann-Coldcountryqueens.com) as he is only 1/2 hour away from me, is sold out already for 2014.


Did you talk to them or just look at the website? If he is that close at some point he may have an extra or two. Can't hurt to ask.


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## uplander12ga (Sep 16, 2013)

Leather Jim said:


> Did you talk to them or just look at the website? If he is that close at some point he may have an extra or two. Can't hurt to ask.


That's what I'm hoping Jim. I plan on getting in touch with him in the next few days to see if he may have any extras later in the year and if he's willing to allow me, I'd like to spend some time with him in his apiary this spring to get up to speed on the Russians.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

Belewsboy said:


> They've been queenless for a long time. They're building comb on new foundation now


Are you certain that they're queenless?
edit....I hadn't looked at the dates of the op or read the rest of the thread. Sorry. All the same, when I see a colony drawing nice comb on new foundation....it is most likely queenright.


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## Belewsboy (Jun 6, 2012)

Yep...they were queenless. This is an old thread ...May of 2013. Lessons learned. That was a strange Spring...but this one is even stranger. We've been getting ice, sleet or snow about once a week for the last month or so with 60 to 70 degree days in between. Its snowing today. Crazy!


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