Bailey Change Queen Cell Dilemma

[Briward]

Hello.
I am finishing a Bailey Change .. 21 days with the queen in the top BB due to complete next Tuesday. I am using 14x12 brood boxes (in a WBC) with the bottom box reduced to 5 frames).
I visited the hive today to replace syrup on top and saw lots of action in the top box with eggs and brood and stores over 5 frames.
But also saw 3 queen cells (I think .. they're my first!). They were all open .. one was empty .. one with a grub in it .. one with white stuff at the bottom, not looking like anything in particular.
Now .. what to do?
The queen is trapped between 2 excluders at the moment but on Tuesday I should remove the bottom box and excluder.
Should I destroy the queen cells?
I would also like to make up a second hive sometime soon .. so should I prepare for that now (if so, how?) or wait a bit?
I don't know the state of the bottom BB as haven't had the nerve to open everything up!
Any advice gratefully received.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Hello.
I am finishing a Bailey Change .. 21 days with the queen in the top BB due to complete next Tuesday. I am using 14x12 brood boxes (in a WBC) with the bottom box reduced to 5 frames).
I visited the hive today to replace syrup on top and saw lots of action in the top box with eggs and brood and stores over 5 frames.
But also saw 3 queen cells (I think .. they're my first!). They were all open .. one was empty .. one with a grub in it .. one with white stuff at the bottom, not looking like anything in particular.
Now .. what to do?
The queen is trapped between 2 excluders at the moment but on Tuesday I should remove the bottom box and excluder.
Should I destroy the queen cells?
I would also like to make up a second hive sometime soon .. so should I prepare for that now (if so, how?) or wait a bit?
I don't know the state of the bottom BB as haven't had the nerve to open everything up!
Any advice gratefully received.

Knocking down queen cells is never the answer to anything. Whereabouts on the frame are they? My feeling is they want to swarm, so that's your second hive question answered. Conduct a Pagden A/S and voila - two hives.
If it was a supersedure attempt - they'll try again anyway.

 

[Briward]

Ah thank you. The cells are near the base of the frames. So should I complete the Bailey first next week and then try an artificial swarm?

 

[drex]

Better to act as soon as you see "charged" queen cells (those with white stuff in). You say one has a grub in, so less than 5 days before that is capped, at which time the queen will be off.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

No - artificial swarm now they won't wait around for you to complete a Bailey change. You know where the queen is - put her on a frame of brood in a new hive - foundation on rest of frames. Put the new hive where the existing hive is presently and move the rest (ongoing bailey etc) three feet away,leaving just one open queen cell, not forgetting to check the now Q- hive for emergency QC's in six to seven days

 

[oliver90owner]

You first need to decide if these are supercedure cells and how you intend to proceed.

If it is supercedure and you want another colony, split off the frame with the definite queen cell, with adhering bees, a day or so before it is capped (as above, won't be long!), add a frame of stores and one other frame of something into a nuc, suitably dummied down to keep them warm. Shake in another good frame of house bees and leave. There is your increase. Do not feed immediately or it may start robbing -wait until any flying bees have returned to the main colony. No need to feed unless it becomes
necessary after a few days - a full 14 x 12 frame of stores should keep them going for some time! They may need water to feed brood, if there is a lot of open brood on that frame, but I doubt there is.

If swarm cells, A/S and there is your increase.

If all the cells are on one frame and supercedure is their plan, simple removal of the one frame will likely bring about more cells and possibly lots more. In the latter case an A/S would be necessary, unless you risked killing the queen, which I would not recommend in your situation.

If cells are on more than one frame or only one or two further supercedure cells are drawn, you can monitor what happens and make a decision re allowing them to continue without further intervention.

A question. Has her lay-rate diminished or is there drone brood in worker cells apparent? The bees will sense the need for supercedure if that were the case. Your observations might confirm their plans.

RAB

 

[Briward]

Sorry I'm really not experienced enough to answer those questions .. not even completed one year yet!
Now it's Sunday and I suddenly need a lot of equipment and Thornes are closed tomorrow .. doh!!!
By the way my queen I see was clipped (both wings) and is currently trapped in between 2 excluders.
So they can't swarm yet .. right? (I think I know the answer coming!)
Thanks for advice

 

[alanf]

Then probably a good idea to start with what you have or can get today.

 

[oliver90owner]

Not an answer, a question. Why are both wings clipped? She may be able to get a fair distance with two dodgy wings but with one clipped she will at least only go round in circles.

Oh, btw, they wouldn't swarm if those are supercedure cells.

Question should be answered simply by checking back in your inspection records. You do make notes on inspections?

 

[Briward]

Well, both are clipped because that's the way she was supplied to me last year by a local beekeeper. I didn't ask for that and it took me 6 months before I could actually find her to notice the wings! Yes I do try to keep notes but obviously not detailed enough.
I think as a beginner there is so much to take in, it is easy to get overwhelmed and miss things.