# Cut out 12/20



## Skunked (Jan 15, 2015)

Hello all, I had to do a hive removal at my moms house that was under an old conex shipping container. This hive has been there for at least 2 years, never bothering anything or anyone (unless the lawnmower got too close). Well she wanted to get rid of this container and the junk man wouldn't touch it until the bees were gone. I had to cut the floor out and was able to remove all of the comb. Surprisingly there was very very little capped honey, almost no pollen stored and a very small amount of brood, both capped and uncapped. I didn't notice any eggs. I never did find the queen, so I rubber banded as much comb as i could into a 10 frame deep and set it at the entrance where the bees were flying in, hoping she might find her way in. I checked the hive today and all of the bees moved in but I still didn't see the queen... 

I did notice that the uncapped brood didn't make it, they were all dead. One thing that I did notice was evidence of a laying worker -- multiple eggs in a cell and eggs on the side of cells. 

Is 3 days without a queen all it takes for laying workers to develop? 

Should I write off these bees or try to introduce a frame of eggs or two from one of my other hives? I don't want to shake out these bees and introduce them to my hives incase they are diseased.

Any advice is much appreciated!:thumbsup:


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## Munson (Mar 16, 2014)

Yes. I would. Give them a frame of fresh eggs. Now and again in a couple days when you check to see how they accepted the new eggs. Won't hurt. Not too many eggs if there are not enough nurse bees. And this should be a good time to give them an oxalic acid vapor treatment. They will need a bit of pollen and honey for raising a queen or brood....


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## Skunked (Jan 15, 2015)

Thanks for the reply, I'll put in a frame with eggs tomorrow, feed them some sugar syrup and see if they make a queen cell.


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## fieldsofnaturalhoney (Feb 29, 2012)

What's the word Skunked?


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## Skunked (Jan 15, 2015)

Unfortunately the hive got completely infested with SHB and wax moth larvae along with visible varroa on some bees.


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## Munson (Mar 16, 2014)

If they still exist, it's a beautiful week to treat with OA Vapor. Vapor once a week for the next few weeks.


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