queen cells on test frame

[beesleybees]

Hi guys,

I got a swarm a few weeks ago. cut a long story short i had an idea it was queenless. I introduced a test frame from another hive that consisted of larvae and eggs at various stages. I checked this frame and found they had built queen cells indicating that this hive is surley queenless.

as mishap on a friends part saw him buying a mated queen that he no longer needed so I have introduced this queen to the hive and am waiting for her to be accepted

anyway, when i introduced the new queen, i found that there where a couple of queen cells on the frame that have been sealed. There is another queen cell that looks like they have decided to destroy as they have begun dragging the evolving queen out of it.

Im not sure ive done the right thing but ive moved this frame into a nuc along with some nurse bees in the hope that i can raise a new queen and use it to split a colony.

Im still a total newb so not sure if i can do it like this so any info would be much appreciated.

 

[For want of a better word]

did your introduce queen have had time to kill the unmated new queens that had been sealed in?

Re unite the nuc frame and bees to the original hive as HM will need all the help she can get before those wet and cold North Easterlies come in from the cold North sea!!!

Remove any queen cells first........?

The experts will be along shortly to post many different scenarios.... thats what makes this forum so interesting!!!

Good Luck

 

[beesleybees]

did your introduce queen have had time to kill the unmated new queens that had been sealed in?

Re unite the nuc frame and bees to the original hive as HM will need all the help she can get before those wet and cold North Easterlies come in from the cold North sea!!!

Remove any queen cells first........?

The experts will be along shortly to post many different scenarios.... thats what makes this forum so interesting!!!

Good Luck

thanx for the reply.

I added the new queen in her cage on tuesday, I decided to have a look in the hive yesterday to see how she was doing and also remove the tab on the cage so the workers could begin eating the fondant to help her out. This is when I noticed that the queen cells they built on the test frame had been sealed. so theres no chance that the new queen has killed them as she has no access to them.

I removed the frame yesterday into a nuc as i know that once my new queen is let loose, then she will probably kill the sealed queens.

 

[oliver90owner]

Your mated queen is likely your best assett. You do not want any other queen cells in that hive when she is released. Certainly do not want to risk another queen being there!

I would have thought you don't have enough bees to mess around with tiny splits at this time of the year. Concentrate on getting the main colony right for winter - remember there will be no fresh house bees for another three weeks, and possibly a few extra days.

RAB

 

[Midland Beek]

The advice would have been to destroy any queen cells - sealed, unsealed, anything remotely looking like a queen cell.

If it were me I would probably re-unite the colony.

 

[Phil280]

Hi there.

I would also re-unite after making sure all the queen cells have been removed.

What do you call - a few weeks ago? Is it possible that there is already a newly hatched queen in the hive?
The reason I ask is that I am a bit worried why the bees would empty out an unhatched queen (unless ill or dead due to something else).
It only takes 16 days for a queen to hatch if the bees started off with a fresh egg - which I doubt. I would guess about 13 - 14 days.
If it is longer than that a new queen could be on her mating flight (if you can't find her)...so time is important. When was "a few weeks ago"?

The last thing you want is to add a queen to an existing one.

Greets
Phil