Artificial swarms but only have spare nucs...

[Pmatthews]

I checked my hives today and found queen cells being built in 2/3 of them...

I don't have any more hives but have 2 nucs. Thankfully I found the 2 unmarked queens and moved them both into the nucs together with 1 frame of brood, 1 frame of stores and 2 frames of foundation. These were moved about 5 meters away from the original queenless hives and I have removed any queen cells.

The queenless hives have been left with supers on in their original position and I have removed any queen cells.

Have I done this correctly? Should I go into the queenless hive on the weekend and remove all queen cells bar one?

I'd appreciate any advice....

 

[GJUK]

I checked my hives today and found queen cells being built in 2/3 of them...

I don't have any more hives but have 2 nucs. Thankfully I found the 2 unmarked queens and moved them both into the nucs together with 1 frame of brood, 1 frame of stores and 2 frames of foundation. These were moved about 5 meters away from the original queenless hives and I have removed any queen cells.

The queenless hives have been left with supers on in their original position and I have removed any queen cells.

Have I done this correctly? Should I go into the queenless hive on the weekend and remove all queen cells bar one?

I'd appreciate any advice....

So, I'm quite new at this also (2 years) but I'll try and help as it can be quite 'full on' making these decisions.

The situation you describe does not quite make sense.
Were the cells you found opened, hence the 2 queens you found in the hive?

It should work, the queenless original hives should start to make queen cells and rear and emergency queen as they no longer have one - watch and see if this happens.

 

[mjt68]

I checked my hives today and found queen cells being built in 2/3 of them...

I don't have any more hives but have 2 nucs. Thankfully I found the 2 unmarked queens and moved them both into the nucs together with 1 frame of brood, 1 frame of stores and 2 frames of foundation. These were moved about 5 meters away from the original queenless hives and I have removed any queen cells.

The queenless hives have been left with supers on in their original position and I have removed any queen cells.

Have I done this correctly? Should I go into the queenless hive on the weekend and remove all queen cells bar one?

I'd appreciate any advice....

Should have left one good open QC in the Q- hive side, checking in 3 days to check extras aren't being made, and make sure you've shaken plenty of young bees into the nucs. Swarm control by taking a nuc is a recognised method of control. If you want more bees then you can raise the nuc on. If you're happy with how many colonies you have you can sell or give away the nuc or reunite with the hive later.

 

[Pmatthews]

Thanks. The two queens I found were the original laying queens in each of the hives. Unfortunately I could only get into the hives quite late after work and they were full of bees so I might have missed some queen cells yesterday but was feeling quite pleased with myself for having found the queens. It looks like I should have left some open queen cells and then removed all bar one in a few days. I will have a look on Sunday and then thin down to 1 next week.

Thanks for your help. It's amazing how quickly everything multiplies...I think 5 hives from 1 at the beginning of last year might be too much to handle.

Fingers crossed they don't swarm...

 

[Bosleeu]

Thanks. The two queens I found were the original laying queens in each of the hives. Unfortunately I could only get into the hives quite late after work and they were full of bees so I might have missed some queen cells yesterday but was feeling quite pleased with myself for having found the queens. It looks like I should have left some open queen cells and then removed all bar one in a few days. I will have a look on Sunday and then thin down to 1 next week.

Thanks for your help. It's amazing how quickly everything multiplies...I think 5 hives from 1 at the beginning of last year might be too much to handle.

Fingers crossed they don't swarm...

Good job for finding the queens. As long as you make sure there is only one virgin to emerge, you shouldn't have a swarm. Make as sure as you can you destroy ALL the other queencells. Shake off all the bees and check the corners and sides very carefully.

Some people leave two (one as a backup) but you may very well get one virgin leaving with a cast, especially if the colony is strong. Your choice but since you have your old queens as a backup still I would only leave one.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

 

[JonnyPicklechin]

Hi...I have pretty much a carbon copy of this situation but with only one hive. Ive pulled off pretty much every cup that looks like a QC except the one. But being first time you never know. My colony is very strong and having performed the queen transfer this morning will have to wait and see. Be good to follow how we both get on. What day did you make your switch?

 

[Pmatthews]

I did mine last night about 7.30. I would be interested to hear how you get on too. I imagine I will be slightly behind you as I dont think I left any queen cells behind in the queenless original hive so they will have to build up emergency queen cells. One of the two hives was much stronger than the other and had already filled one and a half supers so finding the queen under pressure with all the flying bees in there was quite a struggle...I thought I would have a look at them on Sunday and reduce down any queen cells and the do the same again next weekend too...

 

[JonnyPicklechin]

I have some strange going with the proginal hive. Bees are hanging on around the entrance and making a wall of bees across the front hanging from the porch. I see foragers coming and going this morning. But They have been like that overnight.

Is this a symptom of a queenless hive or something else to be concerned with??

 

[masterBK]

Sounds like overcrowding resulting in bearding.