Nuc failed to retain introduced queen

[tom8400]

Hi all

Made a nuc from a strong hive checked four days later to make sure no eggs and I'd got the darn queen in there so I put her back where she should be and marked the Bar stool.

I then left the nuc alone opened again 3 days later and destroyed qc's and popped a new caged queen they didn't try and attack cage at time. Then 2 days later I removed plastic and destroyed a few more qc's. 3 days later today I opened to check and cage empty but queen no where to be seen,
I checked twice allowing time between, however I did find qc's again

Yet another nuc I made that attacked the cage had a nice new queen running around which I thought most odd as I had more bets on the other.

So back to my query the one that has gone missing presumably they killed her? As she was supposed be mated. Now I destroyed the qc's again do I risk ordering another queen or does this suggest that they will not take to a second attempt?

Thanks

 

[Angry_Mob]

Are you absolutely sure the nuc you made up is queenless? Eight days from you did the split and yer still finding queen cells.

 

[tom8400]

Yes, 100% no eggs in the nuc now.

I'm guessing it's a shell out for another queen and try again darn bees

 

[Angry_Mob]

Could give them a frame of brood with eggs from your original hive and leave them to it.

I'm not a fan of the little plastic queen cage introduction though as it gets variable results, have a read up push in queen cages, they are fairly easy to make with some varroa mesh and get better results.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I'm not a fan of the little plastic queen cage introduction though as it gets variable results.

Not for me it doesn't.
It's all to do with preparation, leaving the bees build EQC's tearing them down then introducing a queen is always fraught with danger. Always better to take frames and bees from a Q+ hive, putting into a nuc and immediately putting a new caged queen in but leaving the candy protected for a few days for the bees to get used to her.

 

[iann41]

As above. Always done it this way. Easiest and probably the best way to do it. The only problem is recognising when the bees have rejected your new Q and even then, just leave her for a few more days in the introduction cage without removing the tabs and they'll soon accept her.