New queen, queen cell - leave or destroy?

[matthewling]

Here's the scenario;

large hive of bees
one year old queen goes AWOL (don't know where, why or if just dead)
no larvae, eggs etc (2-3 weeks?)
introduce new queen
new queen accepted, now have eggs, larvae etc but....
8 days from introduction have a queen cell..

Do I leave and see what happens?
Do I remove the queen cell to a new nuc?
Do I destroy the queen cell?

Any suggestions as to what I should do?!

 

[Hebeegeebee]

The new queen may not be all the ticket and the bees are rejecting her - My advice would be to clip the queen's wing so if she swarms then you won't lose the bees (she will fall to the floor and the bees will return - but one queencell is an indication of supercedure rather than a swarm.

 

[enrico]

If the hive is strong enough it may be worth trying to split it with the cell in one and the queen in another but we are getting a bit late in the season for that.

 

[MuswellMetro]

at 8 days it can also be workers not having the emergency Queen cells biulding instinct turned off as the queens pheromones are still not throughout the hive (same principal as how QC are induced in a demaree)

you can get the same if you just split a brood nest with a frame of foundation, qc on the queenless side of the foundation frame

i would knock down the Q cell and any play cups with flexs of new wax on them and inspect again in 5-6 days and see whats happening , you have eggs ,so not a problem for them to make a fresh QC

 

[melormynydd]

i agree with MM, destroy queen cup and check in a few days for more cells

 

[MuswellMetro]

i agree with MM, destroy queen cup and check in a few days for more cells

you must as well destroy any white flexed play cups as these will be polished ready for eggs

 

[melormynydd]

i agree with MM, destroy queen cup and check in a few days for more cells

sory should have said "queen cell" not "queen cup"

 

[oliver90owner]

8 days from introduction have a queen cell..

Let's be sure we have the correct information first.

First question: What stage is this queen cell at the moment?

Does it contain a larva? Is it sealed?

The bees may not have accepted the queen completely (may be a different strain). It may be early supercedure due to injury etc.

Is the queen anything special - like represents £35 investment.

Introducing to a nuc sized colony might have been better initially.

RAB