Hi all, advice please

[Timbeez]

You could try that. I've found they can be tricky to cut out without damaging them and can also be prone to chilling through the whole process (especially around the age that they are). Also, finding and killing a queen in a very defensive colony and adding in queen cells to it it is a bit of a daunting prospect.
Having said this, you have the perfect number of colonies to experiment in the way you propose. For me, learning and experimentation is a significant part of enjoying beekeeping. Down the track, with more colonies, you might make different decisions.

One thing you've done already is establish the age of that queen cell and therefore can more successfully work out when the best time might be to put in a queen excluder or cut out and move cells. Have a look at the diagram in this link (scroll down through it a bit). I reckon you are on about day 10 when you opened that one up? What do you think?

https://theapiarist.org/queen-cells-dont-panic/

Thanks Ant, I really appreciate your support with this one, you can’t beat experience and knowledge, you are bang on, I’ve estimated approx 11/12 June, swarm took residence in swarm trap on the 26th,
I am definitely going to reduce the double brood and us EQC from nuc, fingers crossed they don’t rip down the QC I introduce, I will give queen a couple of days grace, if they are still as aggressive, you are so right the thought of killing a queen is daunting, , especially when I’d just bought two in, I will snuff her out, and use another one of the EQCs. I’ve lost another day of my life faffing lol I’ve only got 13 hives how these manage 100 plus hives I’ve no idea thanks again for your help and support

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Hi John, I once read if you shake frames upside down you don’t detach the larva from the Royal Jelly, not sure whether that’s a myth now then

Considering the amount of nonsense being printed these dats (and even long ago - matchsticks anyone). Personally I take stuff that "I read" with a pinch of salt. YMMV

 

[ericbeaumont]

fingers crossed they don’t rip down the QC

Wrap a piece of kitchen foil round the cell.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Wrap a piece of kitchen foil round the cell.

Or cut the end off the finger of a nitrile glove and slip the cell into it. I’ve always got a nitrile with me but not often tin foil.

 

[Timbeez]

Hi Tim,
I was hoping for something inside that was more obviously a developing queen, but in any case, I think those cells in your first picture look ok and they look like emergency queen cells. I think you will have queens emerging before too long (it looks like there is a bit of capped worker brood in one of your first photos too). Rather than remove all cells but one and in order to lessen the risk of a swarm, I have placed a queen excluder under the brood area (only for a few days) to allow the first queen to emerge and for her and/or the workers to sort out any other cells and queens. You should be able to get the timing pretty accurate going by the date the cells were capped and the size of that grub. One problem with you trying to choose a cell is that it might be a dud.

Hi Ant,
Just a quick update, you were bang on EQC we’re viable went in yesterday remaining QCs I’d left in were torn down and a beautiful looking virgin queen parading round like she owns the place, I cut out x4 of the original QCs and used in splits from other hives x2 produced queens and no trace of the others they’d been torn down and they chose to produce there own, so once again, thank you all for your help and support Thanks for running with it Ant ️