# Failed Split Re-combine?



## B52EW (Jun 3, 2013)

Made a split of a strong hive Feb 20, had three good frames with queen cells, from which I made up three separate splits. Two of the three have mated and laying queens. The third has no evidence of a queen and it has been 33 days since the split. The queenless split still has good population and resources. I will check again today that I don't hive evidence of a queen or laying workers. If not, I'm thinking about three options:

1. Added more brood, I have plenty of strong hives to pull from, to continue to attempt to get this split re-queened.
2. Do a newspaper re-combine with a strong hive...and make a split off another hive.
3. Do a newspaper combine with one of the sister splits that was successfully re-queened. The splits sit next to each other now.

Thanks for the opinions.


----------



## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

>Screen shim them for a few days while you check for a laying worker hive which may kill your new queen. (This will also suppress a laying worker hive)

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?330787-Laying-Worker-Easy-Fix

Second chances to make a queen rarely work, usually end with robbing and beetles. You would need to continually feed it frames of brood that you could just make another split. The resources left in the queenless split can improve one of the queen right splits.


----------



## B52EW (Jun 3, 2013)

I don't waste resources on laying worker hives...just dump them. However, with the close proximity to the other split, I know that's where the dumped bees will return to, imperiling the queened split. Don't know that I have a laying worker yet, but, sounds like option 3, but using a screen.


----------



## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

Last resort...buy a queen.


----------



## B52EW (Jun 3, 2013)

My addiction has it's limits...I can always justify more hives, but...


----------



## ruthiesbees (Aug 27, 2013)

Option #4. Take the queen from the original hive and put it in the failed split so you have a good queen to release in the next couple of days. Let the big hive raise a new queen, plus make more honey since they won't have continuous brood to take care of while they wait for the new queen. Taking either queen from the new splits isn't ideal since they are already at a low point in their population.


----------

