Bees not making QCs

[Paulypaul]

Have done a few 3-frame splits into BS Honey bee 6 frames poly nucs, with the dividers installed.

In a couple of instances, despite adding a doubled side deep of eggs, with plenty of nurse bees, stores and capped brood, only the smallest of queen cells have been produced, and in each case, only 1.

All other eggs were dutifully and very neatly capped.

Anyone have any suggestions as to what might be going on? Do I have suicidal bees?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

a three frame nuc, even packed full of bees isn't really a good bunch to create decent QCs

 

[ericbeaumont]

done a few 3-frame splits

a three frame nuc, even packed full of bees isn't really a good bunch to create decent QCs

JBM understates the issue; Ted Hooper, many years ago in his Guide to Bees & Honey, mentioned the idea of asking a 5-frame nuc to make a queen, but only to condemn it.

There is good reason why queen raisers use full colonies, truly overflowing with young bees, to feed and make quality queens; by comparison, a 3f nuc just ain't gonna do it.

You have reminded me, Paul, that I set up a twin 3f box at Dagenham a while ago and forgot to check. It did, however, have a sealed QC in each compartment.

 

[Paulypaul]

Thanks @ericbeaumont and @jenkinsbrynmair
That makes sense. My 3-frame successes have come from moving QCs into the 3-framers.
Lesson learned.

 

[Etton]

I’ve just taken a mated queen from an apedia. It was a virgin Q from a QC that emerged in my chicken incubator .
Never mind 3 or 5 framed nucs im wondering if with the Q gone they will throw up some QC’s in the apedia, which I can then harvest.

 

[Antipodes]

I’ve just taken a mated queen from an apedia. It was a virgin Q from a QC that emerged in my chicken incubator .
Never mind 3 or 5 framed nucs im wondering if with the Q gone they will throw up some QC’s in the apedia, which I can then harvest.

I’ve found those to be always runty and wouldn’t use them. I’ve found sometimes even a full and strong colony doesn’t always make the best looking queen cells either, although generally with a strong colony, they are likely to be mostly good.

 

[Swarm]

Any like that soon get superseded I find, however a mating nuc last year that objected to their new queen being marked, decided to replace her and as it was late in the season I left them to it. Her laying pattern proved to be very good and by early May this year they were on double brood and positively heaving with bees, lovely temperament too.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Any like that soon get superseded I find, however a mating nuc last year that objected to their new queen being marked, decided to replace her and as it was late in the season I left them to it. Her laying pattern proved to be very good and by early May this year they were on double brood and positively heaving with bees, lovely temperament too.

I always used to replace those runty little queens ASAP but one appeared late last year and overwintered well going on to head a very full colony which is one of the few I have that is filling supers. I think I will give those little ladies a bit more time in future .