Artificial swarm or let them be?

hexadecimal · May 20, 2017

So, my inspection today on my recently installed nuc (6 weeks ago) in to a 14x12 hive has reveled a fully sealed queen cell.... Just the one.

The marked queen is still there, I didn't see any eggs as was trying to be quick as was dodging the rain, but couldn't find any other queen cells on any of the other frames (all 11 frames drawn) .

The question is, do I perform an AS or is this a supersedure?, The queen is last years queen and a Buckfast.

I do have another hive I can utilise if required or easier access to a Nuc box.

Any advice?

Many thanks

bees knees · May 20, 2017

I'm no expert but sounds like supercedure to me. I'd leave it alone.

YorkshireBees · May 20, 2017

Single queen cell = classic supercedure

I would leave them alone.

The other signs of swarming besides multiple QC's are over crowding / lack of space for the queen to lay.

You should also note each inspection how many full frames of bias (brood in all stages) there are and then you know how fast the queen is laying.

MartinL · May 21, 2017

hexadecimal said:
. . . . . . . . . . . . . I didn't see any eggs as was trying to be quick as was dodging the rain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Any advice?

Many thanks

How long have they been out of the nucleus?
What else did you see, any small/just hatched grubs?
Is the other hive empty?
Is this your only colony, (if it is, you're a bit stuck with choices)?
:ohthedrama:

I wouldn't be poking them around risking loosing your only viable replacement to what might turn out to be a dodgy queen!

kevrhcfag · May 21, 2017

For me if you still have the Nuc box (see you have 2 hives) I would take the frame out with another one and 1 with stores and stick it back in the Nuc and see what happens. They may build another cell or not. You don't know how the new queen is going to turn out. Once mated and you have some idea then you can merge back and keep the new queen or old whichever you feel best.

hexadecimal · May 22, 2017

MartinL said:
How long have they been out of the nucleus?
What else did you see, any small/just hatched grubs?
Is the other hive empty?
Is this your only colony, (if it is, you're a bit stuck with choices)?

Nicer weather on Sunday gave me a bit more time.

They have been out of the nuc 6 weeks. There are eggs, grubs and sealed brood.

I have 2 colony's (this being one of them)

Additional equipment is a NUC and hive (unassembled thus the NUC being easier access).

I have read from Dave Cushman that

"It is quite common for colonies to build supersedure cells in a colony where a queen has recently been introduced, especially if direct from a mini-nuc. I don't think this is likely to be a genuine problem, just that the queen may not be up to speed and the bees think there is a problem with her. The cutting out of these cells will usually result in the colony settling down."

No other queen cells are in the hive, and I really dont want to loose this queen as she is laying well now the comb has been drawn out in the rest of the box.

I did consider the moving the cell to the NUC and see what comes, but have at the moment decided to pull down the cell and watch what they do.
In the mean time I shall be assembling the flat hive and make a stand etc for when the buggers decided to put me back on edge.

REDWOOD · May 22, 2017

If you have a fully sealed QC and she is still laying then all things considered equal I would leave well alone, however if they swarmed it wouldn't be the first time this has happened