new laying queen but queen cells

[wondervet]

hoping you'll let me get away with one more basic-ish question....

we've a new queen started laying 3 weeks ago. She's laid up both sides of 4 frames so far and a good solid pattern.

however last week there were 3 charged queen cells (larvae and jelly) which we knocked down. Then today another bunch (which we also zapped -since couldn't agree on an alternative!).

She's clipped. There's loads of room in the box. They are next to the heather and the forecast looks promising.

what's the best course of action?

-keep knocking them down and hope they give up
-take her out into a nuc and let them get on with a single queen cell
-take her out and unite them with next door to make a double brood monster honey machine

opinions appreciated

 

[mbc]

Sounds like they're trying to supercede, my advice would be to let them.

 

[Walrus]

It is so annoying but from what you have said, even though there seems no logical reason for it, you have to assume that they are about to swarm and act accordingly. I had something similar last weekend and did an artificial swarm (Demaree).

I could be supercedure, but if it isn't you lose half your bees

 

[itma]

... There's loads of room in the box. ...

As drawn empty comb?

First 3 and then plural more QCs? I'd be expecting a swarm with the weather warming up - especially if their "space" isn't drawn comb ... (and definitely still likely even if you keep knocking down the QCs ...)


They won't give up, even if you keep knocking down QCs, and can still swarm even though there is no longer a QC in the hive -- unless you change something else in their little lives that makes them stop wanting to build QCs.


If the "space" is drawn comb, then it might well be supercedure - but the number of QCs and the fact that she is a this year's queen make it sound rather less likely ...

I'd vote for an artificial swarm ...

 

[Poly Hive]

The real question has the queen room to lay?

If they are being held back by weather from drawing comb then possibly yes.

If she has empty comb to use I'd put one slap dab in the middle of the broodnest, and if not put in a foundation and see what they do then.

I would not AS them just yet, a bit drastic for what is effectively a large nucleus.

PH

 

[derekm]

hoping you'll let me get away with one more basic-ish question....

we've a new queen started laying 3 weeks ago. She's laid up both sides of 4 frames so far and a good solid pattern.

however last week there were 3 charged queen cells (larvae and jelly) which we knocked down. Then today another bunch (which we also zapped -since couldn't agree on an alternative!).

She's clipped. There's loads of room in the box. They are next to the heather and the forecast looks promising.

what's the best course of action?

-keep knocking them down and hope they give up
-take her out into a nuc and let them get on with a single queen cell
-take her out and unite them with next door to make a double brood monster honey machine

opinions appreciated

In my very meagre experience I have had exactly this (even the heather bit). We opened up the entrance, shuffled the frames and knocked them back a few times and it worked. They stopped attempting to swarm. The colony progressed and survived the winter well. But the colony was Q- in the new year.

Given this is a sample of one in a PIR hive, who killed an introduced queen before creating their own, I can't say anything conclusive about it .

In retrospect given we had only one other colony, we should have let them supercede/swarm/AS, just on the basis of having 3 "horses in the race" rather than 2 had a better chance of success (maybe)

 

[wondervet]

Thanks all. Helps my thinking.

She's several frames of drawn comb to lay in as things stand. I'm inclined to think, on reflection that they're trying swarm -multiple charged cells on 2 successive inspections. Somewhat swarmy strain and weather.

I'm going to Demaree them.

WV