New scenario, like riverrat's, but this one's real

[iddee]

A lady called me today. Her hive is several frames of eggs, larva, capped pupa, with 2 queen cells which she removed. The brood is about 50-50 worker and drone. She found the queen walking on a solid honey frame. There is plenty of honey, pollen, and bees. She is near the center of North Carolina. What should I recommend she do?

[brooksbeefarm]

Sounds like the hive has run out of room? Or if there was only two queen cells, they may have been superseding the old queen and to keep an eye on the old queen? If they build back any queen cells, leave them be. I don't know how long N. Carolina has drones before they get kicked out? she may have to order a breed queen if time is running out for the drones. JMHO. Jack

[Perry]

I'm sorta with Jack on some of this (Wait, did I actually say that?). I was thinking that perhaps the old girl was running outa steam, hence the 50/50 worker drone situation. They may have been trying to replace her but the lady went and nicked the cells off, so if she can find a queen to purchase, that would be my thought.

[LazyBkpr]

   I have had two swarms in the past week, so the bees dont consider it to be too late 

Several frames of brood? How many is several?  If your talking ten frames of brood and 5 of them are drone, then yeah, get a queen in there. The old one is pooping out. On the edge of comfortable time wise.
   If your talking 5 frames of brood and two of drones...  nothing may be amiss.. how crowded is the hive? Where were the queen cells? TWO tells me they may have been trying to replace her rather than swarm.

[Garden Hive]

WE didn't get to see the (queen cells)....
May have just been cups. Plenty of honey , pollen , bees.... She may have disturbed the queen off of a frame onto the honey frame.
I would have lifted the top box and let her walk right back down. She has closed it up to call and ask. I'd advise to check again in a week. Otherwise sounds like it would be strong enough to survive the W. If later it starts to fade, pinch and combine.  Tim

[iddee]

She said open queen cells, with larva and royal jelly. She did leave her in the hive to call me.

[riverbee]

i read literal.  when i read several frames, i read several as in more than two, maybe 3 to 4........eggs, larvae, capped pupae.
plenty of pollen, honey and bees.
two queen cells with larva and royal jelly, which were removed. (myself i would have left them)
a queen wandering around on a solid honey frame. (doesn't bother me, they wander sometimes).
what bothers me the most is out of 'several frames' the brood being '50- 50 worker and drone'.

50% drone brood?  the queen needs to go.
 

[Garden Hive]

I think we are in agreement that the amount of drone brood is a sign of failure. However this time of year, for me I'm not interested in the cost of a queen. Of course if this was one of my hives then likely going to be a combine. But ....having a good level of brood, drones are going to kicked out very soon. Plenty of bees....to drag the boys out kicking and screaming .     

Leaving behind the young workers. Hope for the best to survive the winter, then requeen! Tim

[iddee]

Here's what I advised her to do.

First, do away with the queen immediately. Wait a week and check for queen cells. If she had them decide if she wanted to gamble on raising one and getting her bred this late, or buy a mated queen.

If she had no queen cells, buy a mated queen and install her by slow release.

[Jen]

I like excercises like this Iddee, do more, do more 

[sc-bee]

First, do away with the queen immediately.

To me if I had the resources that would be to another box for keeping.....just in case....

[Springtide]

Iddee, I agree with Jen 

I like excercises like this Iddee, do more, do more

[iddee]

The purpose of them is to get you new beeks to jump in with your opinions, then the old timers can back you up. I will do more if you will jump in, too.