Queen Cells in Spring - Argh

[Erichalfbee]

Gentlemen
Can we refrain from adding innuendo and insult to posts please
A simple opinion is great and gives the OP something to work from.
Thank you

 

[Hebeegeebee]

If the colony has swarm cells in March, then you don't want to propogate from that queen in any case. If it's supercedure, its almost certain that it's too early for the queen to go out and mate, so I would destroy the queencells. They might make more (check in a week and do the same). You want to delay supercedure as much as possible until there's a decent chance of mating. If you start to see drone brood in the worker cells, then it's only a matter of time before the queen fails completely; you can always unite to another colony if the queen is duff. (remove her first).

 

[gmonag]

Queens/ drones/worker bees emerge, they don't hatch....eggs hatch.

If we are being picky, bee eggs eclose, not hatch.

 

[Erichalfbee]

If we are being picky, bee eggs eclose, not hatch.

I never knew that
What a lovely word
Thank you.

 

[Murox]

If we are being picky, bee eggs eclose, not hatch.

I had to look that word up - to emerge as an adult from the pupa or as a larva from the egg - eggcellent word !!

 

[Ian123]

Having tried quite a lot of early queen rearing the very end of the month of April is often the very best you can hope for for consistency. Very often before that queens will mate start laying and very often shortly fail. The annoying thing with this is you think all is good but are caught out later with the majority of the batch failed. And yes I do happily concede that some colonies will indeed swarm in late March and throughout April season/weather dependant.....Ian

 

[pargyle]

The OP is in a fairly unusual situation .. it looks as though the colony may be trying to supercede but you can never be sure. The risk that he faces is that the bees know better than him and may have recognised a queen who, whilst currently laying. may be imminently failing.

Knocking the queen cells down had a risk that there could then be a queen that failed in the hive and without fresh eggs there would only be the possibility of a scrub queen in this situation.

Keeping the queen cells but isolating them from at least part of the colony is an insurance policy - it is, of course, possible that they won't emerge and a further risk that, this early in the season, they may not get mated or get mated without the volume for a queen with longevity. In this situation then two the colonies could be combined and very little is lost.

On the positive side.. there are signs of drone cells in some hives I understand and if the virgin finds a mate or ten when she goes off on her mating flight there is the option of using her - if only long enough to check whether the original queen continues to lay or fails.

Of course, it's altogether possible that a capped queen cell could be empty - I've seen this in the past - but they don't usually cap queen cells full of Royal Jelly so I think there's a queen in waiting in there.

The OP was fortunate to have a mating nuc which allows him to keep the queen cells without really affecting the main colony. I think he's done well and I will be interested to hear the outcome. Great beekeeping ...and interesting too.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

My guess (from where I live) is that the OP is on a hiding to nothing. IF the queencell works, great stuff. I too will be interested to learn of the outcome. If I were a betting man, we could have a small wager of a shillin' or somethin' on the outcome. Macdee, let us know what happens!

 

[Antipodes]

This has been an interesting thread and please Macdee, do keep posting to let us know what happened in the end. Thanks

 

[Beefriendly]

If I were a betting man, we could have a small wager of a shillin' or somethin' on the outcome. Macdee, let us know what happens!

I willing to bet a lot more than a shilling on the outcome...like taking candy from a baby.

 

[pargyle]

The outcome is irrelevant - it's cost nothing but a bit of time to do what he's done and there is also now the prospect that, if they are intent on superceding (or swarming God forbid !) that the queen right colony will now build more queen cells ... or not as the case may be !

I never bet on what bees will do ... more often than not totally unpredictable !

 

[Swn58]

That's a bit early!

I'm in the Midlands as well. My bees have been pretty active in the last week. I thought that I would leave them till next week, before inspection and varroa control. I certainly don't expect them to swarm just yet. As the weather is getting cooler for a while, plus all the Covid-19 hassle, I hoped it would give me a bit more leeway!

 

[beeno]

The outcome is irrelevant - it's cost nothing but a bit of time to do what he's done and there is also now the prospect that, if they are intent on superceding (or swarming God forbid !) that the queen right colony will now build more queen cells ... or not as the case may be !

I never bet on what bees will do ... more often than not totally unpredictable !

IMHO it is bad beekeeping as others have pointed out. The cost is that it weakens the parent colony by depriving it of nurse bees at a critical point when they are building up. This may lead to chilled brood as the brood nest contracts due to the change in temperature that we are now having. Also there seems to be no brood near the QC, or is it my poor eyesight? The QC obviously need to be kept warm.

 

[pargyle]

IMHO it is bad beekeeping as others have pointed out. The cost is that it weakens the parent colony by depriving it of nurse bees at a critical point when they are building up. This may lead to chilled brood as the brood nest contracts due to the change in temperature that we are now having. Also there seems to be no brood near the QC, or is it my poor eyesight? The QC obviously need to be kept warm.

The temperatures over the last week have been as high as 19 degrees so little chance of chilling the colony - Loads of people (not me I would add) have been doing initial inspections. The OP has put the QC'S in a mating nuc so no serious colony weakening ... time will tell.

 

[Macdee]

Good afternoon all,

I checked though the original hive today and found another queen cell primed with an egg in it.
It was in the middle of a frame

I removed it, like recommended by others on this thread.

How long should I keep removing these single primed queen cells ?

Cheers

Alex

 

[Ian123]

For as long as your seeing eggs and larvae. Don’t remove the cell until you have double checked there are still eggs. If you can buy a little time you will increase the chances of a successful mating. Unless of course she turns drone layer and by the time you realise that it will be to late.......the joys of beekeeping!!

 

[pargyle]

For as long as your seeing eggs and larvae. Don’t remove the cell until you have double checked there are still eggs. If you can buy a little time you will increase the chances of a successful mating. Unless of course she turns drone layer and by the time you realise that it will be to late.......the joys of beekeeping!!

Or possibly not as he has two queen cells in a mini nuc ? Bees have a way of telling you what they want ...
Perhaps they know something ?

 

[Ian123]

Or possibly not as he has two queen cells in a mini nuc ? Bees have a way of telling you what they want ...
Perhaps they know something ?

Possibly not? I believe he’s referring to the main hive.

 

[Beefriendly]

Queen due to emerge within next 2 days....

 

[pargyle]

Queen due to emerge within next 2 days....

We are all sitting here like expectant fathers ... seen any drones about ?

I was watching mine flying today (not that many as it was chilly and breezy) and I didn't see any .. but ... the weather is forecast to warm up a bit as the week progresses so ... there's hope yet !