Nuc with charged QC

[Bakerbee]

Hi all im hoping ive done the right thing. I have a nuc that lost its queen due to my negligence early august. I requeened with a queen from a reputable uk breeder. She was accepted and have since largely left them alone for the wueen to get laying, apart from feeding. They have also been treated with apiguard during aug/sept. As the weather is so warm and sunny today i went to take a very quick peek just to ensure she was laying. BIAS was observed but also one fully capped QC in the middle of a frame. I went through and found no others, checked the queen happily laying away with her attendants so decided to pinch out the QC. Timing wise this is well after my new queens introductuon. I wonder what has caused them to do this so late in the season and wondered if the apiguard could have caused them to think they were queenless because it masked her. Have i done the right thing? Thoughts please gratefully recieved.

 

[Beefriendly]

Yes, you've done the right thing.

 

[Swarm]

With BIAS evident and queen seen, I'd have done the same.

 

[For want of a better word]

With BIAS evident and queen seen, I'd have done the same.

Same here...

BTW I Have noticed particularly with my Yellow type bees that superceedure attempts have been made all season long, as soon as a new queen has been introduced... with queen in place, marked, clipped and laying nice brood ( all be it with a bit of the Danish Pastry Virus present)

What is going on... pesticides or the weather?

Yeghes da

 

[Swarm]

I didn't have bees in 1976 to do a comparison It was a crazy season this year though.
My mate has a colony of Amm that kept him guessing earlier on. Introduced Amm queen so same/similar genetics, he asked me to take a look before letting her out. All looked fine and the decision was made to release her, even the attendants strolled out. Once on the comb, she had an immediate court form around her, grooming her and looking really pleased so we happily closed up. From the time she started laying, he found a charged cell on every inspection until he was away on holiday.
She is still there, perhaps with A.N. Other.

 

[Bakerbee]

Thanks all. I am glad ive done the right thing. I dont really want to open them up again but if weather permits should i?

 

[Swarm]

If it's warm enough and you're worried. If it were me, I'd like to keep hold of the queen I paid for. I don't like losing bought in queens.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

was the grub inside healthy and 'current' or could it have been an old capped q cell from around the time you introduced the new queen?

i.e. did you open it up

 

[Bakerbee]

This was a new qc. I went through and checked before introducing my new queen. Of course it was opened up. Complete new queen white but fully formed in lots of royal jelly.

Thanks swarm if weather permits i shall check once more. Agreed im not losing a second new queen if i can help it.

 

[REDWOOD]

Personally I would have left the cell there as the bees have not swarmed, looks like a classic supersedure.

 

[SDM]

Personally I would have left the cell there as the bees have not swarmed, looks like a classic supersedure.

An as yet sealed QC with basically zero chance of mating and the uncertainty that your bought queen could be dispatched at any point?
Rather you than me.

 

[Bakerbee]

I agree there is no reason to supersede a young just mated well bred laying queen just bought. None of my hives have a single drone in them. Really think the mid apiguard treatment messed with their senses.

 

[birdsandbees]

I currently have a Nuc with a recently emerged queen, similar situation, it was one of my queens bred this year, I was only checking that they were okay and spotted what looked like the top of a queen cell between the frames, sure enough there were three cells AND no queen!
I have left them alone and hope that the warmer weather currently will give her chance to mate.

 

[Swarm]

I agree there is no reason to supersede a young just mated well bred laying queen just bought. None of my hives have a single drone in them. Really think the mid apiguard treatment messed with their senses.

Still a higher percentage of old genetics? Should settle down when her offspring outnumber them.
Is it a case that some colonies were triggered to supersede due to poor laying, brought on by the backfilling caused by the immense flow this season? I know I saw some whacky brood patterns.

 

[Bakerbee]

Thats an interesting thought swarm. It was a crazy year weather wise and i did have exactly that going on in my hives.

 

[Eyeman]

Personally I would have left the cell there as the bees have not swarmed, looks like a classic supersedure.

Long past the time for looking into colonies.
Will discover come spring time who has been superceded

 

[beeno]

Well, I rather make sure mine has not gone drone layer after the brood break. Checked on my unite today and she had four frames with worker brood on them. Surprise, surprise discovered 2016 queen in another colony has become drone layer as well. So, another late unite completed. That's my two overwintered nucs to be used up!

 

[Bakerbee]

Yeh im in dorset. It was 21c today. No harm in looking through i believe. The last time i left a qc, half the hive buggered off. Plus i havent seen a drone in any of my hives for weeks so not chancing it. The ivy is just starting. Its warm. I went in and out very quickly. I dont see the issue.