Queen cells: treat 'em rough and they might survive.

[Amari]

On 5th July SteveG and I found a single capped queen cell in a brood box purchased as a nuc a few weeks previously. The colony was otherwise expanding well. I removed it and popped it into my top pocket.
A couple of hours later I made up a quick nuc and pinned the Qcell in a coiled-wire protector on to a frame of brood, and took the nuc over a bumpy track to my out apiary.
Next day I checked: the bumpy ride had dislodged the protector which was lying on the OMF. I pinned it back on to the frame of brood and a week later the cell cap had been removed suggesting that the queen had hatched.
Today for the first time I find BIAS!

 

[john t]

they are very forgiving, and a good result for you

 

[Ian123]

There forgiving when queen is well developed!!!!!

 

[Finman]

There forgiving when queen is well developed!!!!!

And many times they are not, even if I try to be careful.

I rear queens in swarming cells and moving the cells to the cage does not go always fine.

 

[oliver90owner]

It will very much depend on whether the larva has munched through the last of the royal jelly and then spun its cocoon. Once cocooned, they are less vulnerable.