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LiamAiden

LiamAiden

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I'm sure this is asked so many times, my apologies. I have done a lot of my own research but want some opinions ��.

I have had my bees since mid April.

I'm pretty sure my nuc came with a swarm cell on it at early stage development.

The colony has increased and currently has one super that has been on for a week that is being used and drawn out.

The brood box has room and they are still finishing up some foundation on the sides (mostly honey on the two that are not full)

The queen is laying and I have capped brood and lavae. Some random drones but mostly drones built on burr comb at the bottom.

Lots of Nectar about so plenty of food.

My problem: I check every 7 days and I see play cups not layed in, so that's ok but I'm seeing queen cells being englongated with lavea in. So today for example I had 3 play cups not layed in, 4 swarm cups and 2 queen cells with lavea in. (All at the bottom of the frames)

I have had this problem since day one, so been going since mid April.

I don't have another hive but I do have a 6 frame nuc box.

Any thoughts? Seems strange they stay but do this every week.

Edit; my bees are buckfast (have read I can't let them requeen)

Any advice appreciated
Thanks

.
 
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Are you destroying the charged queencells or are the bees destroying them?
E
 
I destroyed them as advised, but so many opinions on this and not sure if it's the right way to go
 
No it's not! They clearly want to swarm and just by removing queen cells is not going to stop that.
You need to do some sort of swarm control. I would suggest you remove the queen, a frame of brood and some food and a couple of spare frames to you nuc. Move that away from the hive. That way you still have your old queen as backup. Do not leave any gaps in the nuc.
Remove all but one charged queen cell from your old hive. Check again in five days time to make sure they have built no others but take care not to damage the one you left.
The nuc may need feeding. There will be no flyers until the brood emerges as the flyers will return to the old hive.
A good easy book to get you going is bees at the bottom of the garden. Whoever told you to keep destroying queen cells is not being very wise!!!
E
 
That's what I had read about and confirms my thoughts of destroying the cells being atleast 20 year old method ��.

Ok few questions:

So the nuc will be a new colony, how long can I leave them in this nuc before they need a new home?. im guessing if I'm adding two new frames of foundation I could leave them until they have drawn them out 75%?. Should I close the door on them for a day or so?

My original hive, I will have to wait until they charge a new queen cell and hope lol

This method is obviously letting them re-queen themself. I did read a lot about buckfast bees and it stated it was not wise to let a daughter take over due to aggression.

I guess I could let them do it and if I see they are more aggressive I could always requeen them

Maybe I could re-combine them using the newspaper trick?, wasn't really prepared for two hives this year.

Thank you for the help, clears some stuff up for me.
 
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Hi I guess you brought the nuc what was it sold as overwintered of this year’s queen.
 
This happened to me on my first year. Exactly the same. I split the hive. Queen on one frame with Some stores and pollen, One frame of brood mostly capped and One of stores in 6 frame poly nuc with three Frames of foundation and put a feed on them.

They were left to get on with it.

Main colony kept one good Sealed cell And cut the others out, back in 4 days to cut any other cells that may be there.

Left that New queen to Carry on. In September I united both ( nuc by this point In full hive) stupidly kept the daughter not the original queen was three years old when I was given her.

Went through winter great then in spring the next year had terrible hive I requeened from Becky bees using push cage.
 
Hiya

Yes I payed £270 for the nuc from a very well know local place (although I don't recommend them now lol) the queen is green marked so that's 2019?
 
Thanks for posting your same experience, it helps a lot.
I'm wondering if I artificial swarm them as by the instructions in this post, could I just requeen the colony that is in the hive?, Instead of letting them hatch a new queen, or would this mean they think they haven't swarmed?. Maybe re-queen in spring like you did?. Ofc asking due to aggression issues of allowing daughter to take over. I could ofc re-unite with my old queen in nuc in September?, so another option.
 
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LiamAiden said:
Thanks for posting your same experience, it helps a lot.
I'm wondering if I artificial swarm them as by the instructions in this post, could I just requeen the colony that is in the hive?, Instead of letting them hatch a new queen, or would this mean they think they haven't swarmed?. Maybe re-queen in spring like you did?. Ofc asking due to aggression issues of allowing daughter to take over. I could ofc re-unite with my old queen in nuc in September?, so another option.
Click to expand...

That would work And a new queen should not swarm if she has room but can swarm if the hive is crowded.

The more flying bees you have the less likely they are to accept a new queen especially if you go from buckfast to Amm Queen. They need to be hopelessly queenless first. New queen in as big a push cage You can find and get good coverage of hatching brood, and stores with 5-6 attendants and leave it 4-5days.

Leave it to long though and you may have a possible issue with laying worker if they go to long without any queencells in the hive.
 
I really think that you need to keep it simple. Requeening is not 'easy' . You would be better combing and keeping the same queen in autumn. That woul mean you would be better off buying a new brood box and moving them from the nuc to the brood box when they are stronger and before the unite. In spring you would be able to remove that brood box and keep it for next year's swarm control.
I will find and post the Wally Shaw advice on swarm control when I can find it.
You will be better off getting a whole spare hive if you can afford it. Trust me you will need it.
E
 
Ok, thanks, see what I can do this week, just got another hive to try and sort this out, although nuc be fine to start.
 
Just got one, thanks for info!. Will have a read and see if I have any other questions before I make a start .
 
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