Another AS that didnt work.

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SixFooter

Drone Bee
Joined
Sep 16, 2009
Messages
1,875
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Location
Merseyside
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
12
I found Q cells in one of my colonies last week, but couldnt find the Queen. There were lots of eggs, so I split the colony in 2, with eggs in each half, and moved one of them 3 ft away. Then I filled up each brood box with foundation, put them back together and closed up the new colony's entrance with grass.
As I understand it, what is supposed to happen is the QL half should build queen cells and the QR half should not. Also, a week later, the QR half should have more eggs and the QL obviously wont.This is the procedure as per "A Practical Manual of Beekeeping" and makes sense.
Unfortunately, when I opened them up a week later both had Q cells, so I thought the Q must have already left when I made the split, but I found a few eggs and larvae in one of the halves! However, by "a few", I mean about 10!
Can any one explain what has happened as I really cant come up with an explination. My swarm control just isnt working!
 
I had something very similar ... I did an AS and the queenright section continued to raise swarm cells. In the end she either absconded or they killed her off. Checked the hive today and there's a new queen running about in there. Someone with far more knowledge than me will probably give a better answer but I've assumed the queen was poor and/or damaged and they'd decided to replace her. Towards the end she had been thinned down (for swarming?) and was laying few eggs. She was an '09 queen and the Spring build-up had been excellent ...

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fatshark
 
Ditto.
I've a full hive with no QCells as they have no eggs so I've added a test frame and hope they make some.

Also, I've yet to see if the new box produces a queen.

Again an 09 queen that built up very well.
 
Mine was an 09 Queen supplied clipped and marked green and last year was easy to spot. I've not been able to find her this year at all, but didnt bother too much as there were lots of eggs. The colony was building up nicely and I had put the second super on the weekend before this started.
 
I had something very similar ... I did an AS and the queenright section continued to raise swarm cells. In the end she either absconded or they killed her off. Checked the hive today and there's a new queen running about in there. Someone with far more knowledge than me will probably give a better answer but I've assumed the queen was poor and/or damaged and they'd decided to replace her. Towards the end she had been thinned down (for swarming?) and was laying few eggs. She was an '09 queen and the Spring build-up had been excellent ...

--
fatshark

Fat shark

That is exactly what happend with my lot I did an AS I kow the old queen went into the new hive but 7 days later I cannot find her and both parts of colony have produced QC's??? I am kinda glad its not just me and being a very new BEEK I cannot fathom what is going on.
 

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