# Cut out advice sought, 1 week later



## iwlf (Mar 25, 2012)

I had a colony of bees under the house in Michigan. Managed to get four partial frames loaded (rubber bands holding cut out comb) into a new deep. They seem to be content working out of their new home, but checked yesterday (after a week) and saw no eggs or queen or much new comb. They did have the cut out stuff fastened in nicely, without too much weirdness. 

When I placed the comb in the hive the rest of the bees seemed content to follow and there were eggs to capped brood present. Still some capped brood and there have been many "orientation" flights. I used a cone to trap out the few remaining bees, none left under the house.

I was wondering if the combination of heat and repair work has kept them too busy to start on the new comb so the queen has nowhere to lay eggs. I have a top feeder on but it doesn't look like they're much interested in it.

Any ideas or suggestions?


----------



## D Semple (Jun 18, 2010)

Not unusual at all for a queen to quit laying for a couple of weeks after a cutout, or for the queen to come up awol.

Give them a frame of eggs for insurance from another hive in case they need to make themselves a new queen.

See Michael Bush's Panacea advice: http://www.bushfarms.com/beespanacea.htm

I find it generally takes cutouts about a full month to recover from the trama and get back to normal.


----------



## iwlf (Mar 25, 2012)

D Semple said:


> Not unusual at all for a queen to quit laying for a couple of weeks after a cutout, or for the queen to come up awol.
> 
> Give them a frame of eggs for insurance from another hive in case they need to make themselves a new queen.
> 
> ...



Thanks. This is an "only hive" so they'll have to manage on their own. I'll check in another week or so to see if there's any comb drawn and maybe some eggs. Might be able to re-queen if not, I suppose.


----------



## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

Must have been one heck of a drive from NC to do a cut out in MI! lol

Yeah, give them some time to re group.


----------



## rtoney (Apr 20, 2011)

If you only have 4 frames you should be able to find the queen. If you can't I would not wait long before ordering one in.


----------



## wildforager (Oct 4, 2011)

I've done about 8 cutouts this year and still have a few on the calendar coming up. After hearing that another beek on beesource adds a new queen to the hive after a cutout I started doing that. My survival rate has improved immensely! Last year I did 5 cutouts and only one survived, that one had a new queen added. You can order queens through the mail pretty cheap so its a good investment and you and sleep a little easier. Adding a frame of brood from another hive helps too.


----------



## iwlf (Mar 25, 2012)

wildforager said:


> I've done about 8 cutouts this year and still have a few on the calendar coming up. After hearing that another beek on beesource adds a new queen to the hive after a cutout I started doing that. My survival rate has improved immensely! Last year I did 5 cutouts and only one survived, that one had a new queen added. You can order queens through the mail pretty cheap so its a good investment and you and sleep a little easier. Adding a frame of brood from another hive helps too.


Checked again for a queen . . . . couldn't find one. Found a supplier for a local queen and put her in this morning. About 15 - 20 bees were on the cage IMMEDIATELY! Didn't seem to be aggressive or trying to sting through the bars, though. Maybe just happy to see her? Checked back a couple times, still bees around the cage, no queen trying to get at her, so I must have squished the old queen in the cut out. (Never saw her then, but it wasn't the best place to work.) Hoping they'll get cranked up and draw some comb for the new one.


----------



## D Semple (Jun 18, 2010)

Smart move getting a queen iwlf


----------

