Didn't Move Split Twenty Feet, Or Two Miles Away

[Jen]

I'm seeing posts from others with the same weather predicaments.

Three days ago I split a 3 high nuc into 1 full medium hive and another nuc. It was starting to rain and getting late in the afternoon so buttoned it up.

The next day the split nuc got a new queen and is doing fine. However the new hive, 1 med with feeder box on top, is without a queen but has ample brood, larvae, and eggs. I had to set it next to my 2 other hives and call it a day it was starting to pour rain.

This hive has been sitting there now for 4 days, the bees haven't been able to leave the hive and re-orient due to rain and snow. Will it be established enough for the bees to Not drift back to the original hive they came from? 

[apisbees]

Maybe not but in 4 days there is probably enough new bees from brood that has emerged that a little drift back will not effect anything.

[Jen]

Hi Apis, always glad to hear from you. That's the answer I was hoping to get 

[riverbee]

i wouldn't count on it being 'established enough' jen, there will be some drift as apis mentioned, and maybe more........what i would be concerned about is that the nuc is queenless, and hoping for them to produce a new queen from what you have provided them with.
what's your plan after the weather clears?

[Jen]

Thurs and Fri are great days to check for the beginnings of queen cups/cells. Or, our bee club will have queens for purchase in a week or two. Or, I had a swarm today to I could put queen cells in the hive as well. So I have some options