cageing queen cells

[Martin G]

checking a hive today I found 3 capped queen cells all on the same frame, nothing unusual in that, but has anyone had experience in caging the cells with the intention of raising all 3 queens. They're supercedure type cells so on the face not on the frame bottom.

Martin

 

[oliver90owner]

Cut two of them out and transfer to other frames? KISS principle.

 

[richardbees]

You could carefully cut them off and put into a 'Warnholz' hive (£16 from Thrones) along with some nurse bees and foundation.....it's very satisfying and ime usually works.

edited to add 'leave one on the frame'

 

[Martin G]

Caged Queens

Good ideas, which I have done in the past. The thinking behind the idea was to create 'spare' queens in the same hive, keeping those that aren't needed safe. I'm assuming that the nurse bees will feed the caged virgins, but for how long? and how long will they last caged like this?

Martin

 

[Teemore]

You risk having the bees tunnel through the comb from the other side to release the queens.
Better to do as RAB suggests and cut out two cells and transfer them into a Nuc or mating Nuc. There they will hopefully get mated. If you try to contain "spare" queens in a single hive, you need to consider how they will get mated. Unmated Queens = Drone layers and useless to most beekeepers (with the possible exception of someone with a dedicated mating apiary and other stocks to support the drone layer with frames of emerging worker brood).