midnight sun
Field Bee
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2012
- Messages
- 983
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- preston
- Hive Type
- National
- Number of Hives
- 6
During a recent discussion (about 10 mins. ago actually), we were discussing Queen cells. We are told that you should never shake a frame with a Queen cell on it in the normal way (top bar upper most) as you could dislodge the Queen. (or larva).
My questions are...
1) If you shook a sealed Queen cell (I would imagine she could be damaged at the early stages of metamorphosis), would the bees know (by chemical signal or lack of it for instance) and then react, (say tearing down the cell) or would they carry on in ignorance?
2) Would they eventually realise when the 'corpse' decayed and then tear it
down?
3) If there was only one cell because of swarm control had been administered and 5 days later any new Queen cells had been removed by the keeper. Would the bees find out too late and be doomed to laying workers? (As they would not have viable eggs etc. to raise an emergency cell)
I am assuming that the cell in question would have been a newly sealed cell that had been shaken due to being spotted too late ,but still placed in these circumstances in any case.
I would appreciate your comments. I know I haven't put this together too well but I'm sure the experienced members will know what I am asking. If not then berate me soundly (ooh err!) and I'll have another go...this time in English!
My questions are...
1) If you shook a sealed Queen cell (I would imagine she could be damaged at the early stages of metamorphosis), would the bees know (by chemical signal or lack of it for instance) and then react, (say tearing down the cell) or would they carry on in ignorance?
2) Would they eventually realise when the 'corpse' decayed and then tear it
down?
3) If there was only one cell because of swarm control had been administered and 5 days later any new Queen cells had been removed by the keeper. Would the bees find out too late and be doomed to laying workers? (As they would not have viable eggs etc. to raise an emergency cell)
I am assuming that the cell in question would have been a newly sealed cell that had been shaken due to being spotted too late ,but still placed in these circumstances in any case.
I would appreciate your comments. I know I haven't put this together too well but I'm sure the experienced members will know what I am asking. If not then berate me soundly (ooh err!) and I'll have another go...this time in English!
midnight sun, you just pipped me.
