Today I made a return visit to Alhambra, the weak nuc.  On my last visit I had reduced them to 2 frames after failing to find a queen and noticing many bees that look as though they had been fighting robbers.  That purpose of that previous visit was to pinch the queen and bring the nuc up to combine it with Warwick.  I couldn’t find the queen, so I let it alone, and was hoping to either find the queen or find cells on this visit.  Well, I got my answer.  A large emergency queen cell had been started on one of the frames, so clearly the queen was gone.  I checked the two frames over again just in case, but by now I was fairly certain she was missing.  I was spared the trauma of having to pinch her.

I cinched up the nuc with a ratchet strap and carted it up to the house.  A quick newspaper combine with Warwick and walked away.  The Alhambra bees were none too happy after that bumpy ride from the field.  Now we’re in for days of rain, so I expect after only a day or two the combine will be complete…and fingers crossed for success.

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