How many Queen cells?

[masterBK]

The answer is simple : leave one unsealed cell. Unsealed as at least you can see a live grub inside. Two risks swarming and also if the cells are the same age they might emerge at same time and the winner of the fight to the death might get injured by the loser in the fight (have had queens in the past with bits of leg and antennae missing). Best practise is to leave one cell but also take a small mating nucleus out at the same time using another cell. This is an insurance policy as some queens don't get mated properly and some don't even come back from mating flights.

 

[drstitson]

if you have accessible cells then by all means make up one or more mating nucs as insurance (or a bonus) - end result is the same as leaving two cells in the hive BUT with advantage of no swarming AND possibility of an extra queen!

 

[Compostcritter]

Just thought I wouldn't you know that I went into the hive at 8.30 this morning after all your advise, thank you. I killed all but one queen cell, it was jute stressful as we had moved the hive to a different location several miles away and the bees were alittle disoriented and ended up clustering on my suit. I was aware the temperature should have been a tad warmer and I had to go work. One bee somehow managed to crawl up my jacket onto my back, which was very disconcerting. I also got stung through my gloves. Lesson learnt for the future only ONE hewn cell per AS colony ! Thanks again

 

[drstitson]

Another lesson - don't transport hives containing precious queens cells - they are fragile, in risky locations and easily damaged in transit. Likewise except when spinning cocoon or just before emerging the contents of sealed cells are themselves delicate