How to safely remove a QC?

[Old Boar's Apiary]

Hi again,

Posted on here late last week asking how to try and save a laying worker hive, got lots of great advice which we're going to try tomorrow (weren't able to get to the hives over the weekend). Got another question now if anyone could help, we're going to have to remove 4 or 5 capped QCs from a hive tomorrow, how do we remove them safely? (without destroying the surrounding comb).

Thanks in advance!

 

[madasafish]

All you need to do is kill the larva inside; the bees will clear up after you. So cut the QC in two with a sharp knife or small scissors..

 

[Old Boar's Apiary]

Ah, that sounds straightforward. Thank you

 

[oliver90owner]

One of the uses of a hive tool. Simple.

 

[enrico]

Just push on the base at one side and it will start to move, dig it out with the hive tool. Don't worry about keeping everything nice and tidy, doesn't last like that anyway! Next year it will all be humps and bumps and holes!!? If they are sealed it is good to get them out whole because you can carefully open them and see what you have inside. Have a container ready for a virgin!
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[drex]

I just pinch them off ( thin gloves)

 

[Arfermo]

One of the uses of a hive tool. Simple.

Precisely - pretty obvious to most I would have thought.

 

[rolande]

Precisely - pretty obvious to most I would have thought.

Not really, I actually thought that the OP was asking

how do we remove them safely?

for guidance on how to harvest the cells for use elsewhere, with not damaging the comb, being a secondary objective!

 

[Bosleeu]

Do you just want to get rid of them or do you want to transfer some/one of them to another hive? To destroy them simply use your hivetool as suggested. To transfer them best way is to move a whole frame with a queencell to the other hive. If you can't do that, carefully disect it out (I use a scalpel or sharp fillet knife. Don't worry about the hole in the comb. Carefully press into the comb of the recipient hive, in the centre of the comb, and place the comb quite centrally in the brood box. Take care not to squash the cell on surrounding comb. Avoid shaking at all it's not good for the queen inside.

 

[Old Boar's Apiary]

Thank you Bosleeu and everyone else in the thread , we do want to try sticking one in a hive of laying workers as a last ditch (but unlikely to work) effort to save it (the advice in the other thread was very helpful). We figure the QCs would have to be disposed of anyway, so if it doesn't work it's no great loss.

We only just moved the hives last night anyway, so we're giving them today to settle down before attempting to do anything to them.

 

[Dishmop]

Move the frame with the QC to the other hive.

 

[Bosleeu]

Move the frame with the QC to the other hive.

Agreed that would be the easiest and least risky.