Does combining cause queen cells

[idg]

I recently carried out a Snelgrove 2 on one of my hives. As instructed on day 9, I moved the queen back from the parent hive and popped her into the AS. 6 days later I reduced the parent colony to a Nuc (with developing QC's), and combined the rest of the parent colony back with the AS half (over newspaper). Three days after that (yesterday) I adjusted back to a single brood box. However in doing so I noticed a queen cell with a coiled grub. The grub was about 4-5mm across, lying in Royal jelly. Luckily the QC was on one of the frames that I was removing. but does this mean I have not succeeded in reducing their swarm tendencies, or could it be that they created it during the time they were on double brood with newspaper between them.
I plan on checking again on Friday to make sure they are still not trying to swarm.

 

[Firefly]

Have you seen the Q since you moved her?

 

[idg]

Yes, Queen was in there yesterday. And she was laying.

 

[Firefly]

Yes, Queen was in there yesterday. And she was laying.

Hmm. I'll watch with interest what others with more experience say, then.

 

[alldigging]

If you have recombined too early then the swarming urge you have been trying to suppress will not have diminished.

Have you not one half make a new queen and got her laying before combining?

 

[idg]

If you have recombined too early then the swarming urge you have been trying to suppress will not have diminished.

Have you not one half make a new queen and got her laying before combining?

No, I have not let one half raise a new queen until she started laying. The half raising a new queen is now in the nuc. But as I understand it, this half (parent colony less flyers) were not the ones that would have been driving the swarm.

The flyers (swarm drivers) are on the original site. They have gone through the motions of raising queen cells, and have then been presented with their old queen. Once she was laying, I merged the remainder of the parent colony (less nuc) on top of this hive.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

No, I have not let one half raise a new queen until she started laying. The half raising a new queen is now in the nuc. But as I understand it, this half (parent colony less flyers) were not the ones that would have been driving the swarm.

The flyers (swarm drivers) are on the original site. They have gone through the motions of raising queen cells, and have then been presented with their old queen. Once she was laying, I merged the remainder of the parent colony (less nuc) on top of this hive.

so you've boosted the colony strength back to almost pre-swarming strength by uniting the young bees back with the swarm instigators, ideal swarm material really.
Wally Shaw recommends you put the queen back with the flyers after ten days then leave the (now) Q- colony raise a new queen - no re-uniting.
Wally is quick to point out that the only times this system has failed is where it hasn't been followed as per instructions.

 

[idg]

I can see where you are coming from JBR, but I would have thought the swarmers building a new queen would have quelled their desire to swarm. The 10 day break in laying and 3 frames taken out should have created some space surely.
Oh well, I will know more on Friday. Just hope I'm not too late!!

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

I can see where you are coming from JBR, but I would have thought the swarmers building a new queen would have quelled their desire to swarm. The 10 day break in laying and 3 frames taken out should have created some space surely.
Oh well, I will know more on Friday. Just hope I'm not too late!!

Remember an AS is ARTIFICIAL. Flyers and swarmers are not the same. Think about the comb-building; flyers don't build comb, 1-2 week old bees do, so they are orientating during the swarm. Then you have drones participating (flyers, admittedly) and all sorts.