how long to keep caged queen

[yeogi75]

have brought new queen as found dead queen in the bottom of hive, have been through the hive today and found my queen well and ok , now have queen spare, going to take some frames and put into nuc to put queen into, how long can she be left in cage and any special requirements for her , as I want to leave nuc for 24/48 hours queen less.

ps where did that queen come from ?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

no need to leave queenless for that long, in fact the longer you leave it the least likely they are to accept her. Three hours is ample don't bother taking the attendant bees out, put tape over the candy in the queen cage so that they cannot get at her yet, insert her in the nuc and leave for 48 hours, when you next open up they should be used to her pheremones and desperate to get her out. take off tape and leave for a few days then do a quick check to see if they have released her. Then leave well alone for a couple of weeks

 

[Skyhook]

Like he said- except I do like to take the attendants out.

It sounds like your bees have superceded- congratulations!

.

 

[Smorning]

Was told you can keep her caged for up to 5 days but obviously less time is better. To introduce it's better to remove attendants easy to do by opening cage within a plastic bag and separating queen attendants can be then set free. When introducing remove plastic cap so bees can access candy plug and place in hive after 3 - 5 days she should be free. When queen is in cage with attendants and you are waiting for a suitable day for installing you should give them a bit of water by placing a few drops on the cage. Also you should keep cage in the dark cool place. I was also advised that a bit of syrup fed at introduction helps. I did all the above at it worked a treat 100 percent success, hope it goes well for you

 

[lilybetbee]

'easy to do by opening cage within a plastic bag and separating queen attendants can be then set free.

I tried this and found it wasn't easy and took ages to get them out, I was convinced that I would end up squashing the queen with the cage in the process too!

 

[Finman]

Was told you can keep her caged for up to 5 days but obviously less time is better.

That is practical deadline. It it not good to try high scores in this area.

What I have kept encaged queens, attendant bees start to die at the age of 7 days. It tells that queen's life is in danger then. They eate moist sugar and that is not good either to the queen.

Wintered bees life is even shorter. They die after 3 days in cage.

If you have an emerged virgin in cage, bees start to ball it after 3-4 days.
Encaged 5 days it propably is not capable to make mating flight any more.

You may hear high scores but it is better to play so that all queens are inside safe limits.

 

[Finman]

.
100% sure queen introduce


When I buy queens, I want introduce them 100%. (only a hope)

If the queenless hive has capped emergency cells, it accepts easily a new queen directly.

But when I get a new queen via post, it should be free in the new hive soon.

It is then make a demaree nuc over the hive. Take a emeging frame. Shake all bees off and put it on upstairs of the queenless hive.
Stuck all holes that no bees can come out or go in. Give the queen to emerging queen.

After 3 days lots of new bees have emergeg and the new queen is laying. Now it is easy to join two hives.


If you have emercengy cells, it is better to wait 5 days that queen cells are capped. Then things go easily.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

To introduce it's better to remove attendants . .

Why? I always leave the attendants in - haven't had an introduction fail yet

When introducing remove plastic cap so bees can access candy plug

I have found if you leave the plastic cap on for 24/48 hours before removing means less chance of the bees rejecting queen

. When introducing remove plastic cap so bees can access candy plug and place in hive after 3 - 5 days she should be free.

I've seen them release her within 24 hours sometimes - if they really want her.

 

[yeogi75]

checked queen had been released, did not look for her, went in today could not see any eggs or brood in any stages, so she was killed or left, still lots of bees so think she has been killed

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Patience! it sometimes takes a while for her to settle in.

 

[yeogi75]

little bit inpatient as this queen was to bring in fresh genes