Panic or Don’t Panic. Supersedure

[Nordicul]

Hi All,

Well it’s happened....my first Queen cells!!....first thing I remembered DON’T PANIC, and get onto the forum, so here I am.

They are AMM’s the Queen is from 2017 it is marked and clipped and is present in the colony. The hive is a National on a single BB. Not yet supered. They have been building up slowly, today six and a half frames of brood. There is a lot of drone brood bottom of frames, and some free drones about.

Tonight’s inspection (inspected 8 days ago)I found a charged Queen cell , broken down ....fuller complete inspection found two more charged ,uncapped and about same age and size 1-2cm on middle frame,adjacent to one another and on periphery of brood nest 9th n 10th frame.

My thoughts are they are Supersedure cells. However I fear it might not be best time of year for Q mating?

Which options to follow?

1. Do nothing let them sort it out themselves?
2.Start Swarm Control measures?

3. If 2 yes. ..Do an AS ( keep swarm hive with orig Q )and make two nucs giving each a Q cell frame.?
4. Any other option?

My other hive is poor and I hoped to Re Queen it this year. The swarming hive Q’s qualities I wouldn’t mind keeping.

Any advice welcomed

Nordicul

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

If more than one QC assume swarm preparations being made
If only one - it may be that swarm preparations are starting

 

[Madge]

Hi All,

...

3. If 2 yes. ..Do an AS ( keep swarm hive with orig Q )and make two nucs giving each a Q cell frame.?



Nordicul

If you keep the nucs in the same apiary, remember some of those bees will return to the original site and join the queen - so, the nucs might end up with too few bees to take care of the brood.

As for the queen’s hive - they might still have swarming fever unless you’ve given all the brood frames (or all but one) to the nucs.

As this is your first time at managing a swarm, I think you should perhaps keep things simple and just do a basic Pagden artificial swarm.

 

[enrico]

Do a basic pagden swarm
Old queen on old site with new frames
Queen cell on new site with old brood box.
That is all you have to do.
Oh! And find the queen. Ofcourse!
You must do something though
E

 

[Nordicul]

Ok
Thanks Poly, Enrico and Jenkins for advice.

Did AS today...Queen still there and both Q cells now capped.

So the plan now is (I think) to leave for a week.

Reinspect swarm hive, see Queen , see if laying, see if bees drawing out comb, see if enough food check for any Swarm cells and if any knock down.

Reinspect parent,(was moved meter to side) see if orig two Queen cells are still there, intact and capped. Keep best and remove the other one (see later question) Go through hive remove all other Q cells. Check that enough feed. Move hive one meter on the other side.....leave then two to three weeks to see if new Queen emerges, mates and starts laying (fingers crossed.)

Question Could I use the “spare” Queen cell .by splitting my other hive (got issues) into two nucs. Adding Queen cell to Queenless nuc..... I realise I would have to take this nuc away until mated etc.
If successful I’d bring it back destroy Queen in the other hive and reunite.

How does this all sound?

Tia Nordicul

 

[Murox]

Sounds like a reasonable plan.

 

[enrico]

I wouldn't bother swapping the hive to the other side. It makes little difference imho.
E

 

[masterBK]

The Heddon modification makes a difference if there is a honey flow on as more foragers get shunted back to original site and with very little brood more honey goes into the supers. It also means the box with the cells having been bled again of flying bees is less likely to swarm and they will accept the first qjueen out.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I wouldn't bother swapping the hive to the other side. It makes little difference imho.
E

just a faff liked by those who have nothing better to do with their time

 

[Beefriendly]

just a faff liked by those who have nothing better to do with their time

Also only suitable for those who have more apiary space and kit available....Vertical Pagden/Snelgrove for me these days.