Tips For Finding The Queen
●in the early moming look in the centre of the brood nest
●if there is brood in two boxes, look for the old queen first in the bottom box, but don't replace the
second box as she may move into the box you have already inspected
●use a minimum of smoke
●start by examining the two outside combs, then move towards the centre
●as you withdraw each comb, glance at the adjoining comb first,then examine the edge of the comb at hand. Look Very carefully at the bottom edge of each comb
●if the colony is particularly vicious, move it a metre or so and turn it around. Stand a small colony in its place to catch the field bees. The next day, only nurse bees remain and you can examine the hive
●if you don't find the queen on the combs, remove all the combs and inspect the walls and floor of the hive
●mark the queen with a spot of coloured lacquer, or water-based paint, on the thorax to make her
easier to find (optional).
