Knocking Down Queen Cells

[MathJ]

Have a queenless hive (test frame and queen cells drawn). United another colony using the paper method but now realise I forgot to knock down the queen cells on the test frame!
Am I right in thinking once they get through the paper they will tear down the queen cells or do I need a quick visit to the apiary?
Thanks
Matt

 

[MuswellMetro]

Have a queenless hive (test frame and queen cells drawn). United another colony using the paper method but now realise I forgot to knock down the queen cells on the test frame!
Am I right in thinking once they get through the paper they will tear down the queen cells or do I need a quick visit to the apiary?
Thanks
Matt

Run back and scratch them out

 

[northernsoul]

run!

 

[MathJ]

AAAAgh! Even if they were uncapped?

 

[MuswellMetro]

AAAAgh! Even if they were uncapped?

when did the test fram go in...+eight days and you stand to loose the queen from the queenright colony

so if you put the frame in last weekend, it could be capped tomorrow or tuesday

 

[MathJ]

Went in Thursday.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

run!

Forest, Run!

 

[Midland Beek]

Am I right in thinking once they get through the paper they will tear down the queen cells or do I need a quick visit to the apiary?

You need to get your swarm collection gear ready.

Open your hive up and destroy every one. Including the ones that are hard to find.

 

[MJBee]

You need to get your swarm collection gear ready.

Open your hive up and destroy every one. Including the ones that are hard to find.

They will not be happy so suit up well and shake the bees off all the frames to thoroughly check for queen cells - it's the only way to be sure you have got them all.

Good luck. Mike

 

[MathJ]

Thanks for the advice. Knocked down all of the queen cells but the bees had already got through the paper. Today looked in the hive and the queen was being balled. What now?

 

[VEG]

Add another frame of eggs

 

[MathJ]

Thanks Craig, what's the thinking behind that? Won't they draw queen cells and if so wouldn't they just make emergency QCs from the 2 day old eggs that went in with the queen right colony when united?

 

[Midland Beek]

Thanks for the advice. Knocked down all of the queen cells but the bees had already got through the paper. Today looked in the hive and the queen was being balled. What now?

If you were quick thinking and had a queen cage handy the ball of bees could have been broken apart and you might have saved the queen.

Assuming they have available larvae young enough on which to raise new queens, you will get a batch of emergency queen cells. Probably lots of them. Leaving them with their emergency cells is one option.

The other option is to destroy all subsequent queen cells to make them hopelessly queenless, and then introduce a new mated queen at about £30. Having then hopelessly queenless while you get you new queen should not be a problem, but make sure they absolutely do not get themselves an emergency queen in the meantime..