Queen not hatched

[LauraB]

Hi all, been reading the forum but decided to post as I have a problem!

I’ve had my bees about 9 weeks now, 2 weeks ago they swarmed! The queen was clipped so I lost her but not the workers. I then split the hive leaving a sealed QC in the hive (and all the supers on) and created a nuc with a unsealed QC (def had larvae in it).

I had a look last week and the Hive QC looked ‘tarnished’ at the bottom like it was ready to hatch and the nuc QC was sealed. However I looked last night and neither had hatched as I believe they should have done. What’s gone wrong (esp the main hive one, might be being a bit impatient about the nuc one).

Help - have they died?

 

[keithgrimes]

Its possible they have hatched. I have seen cases where the 'exit flap' that they cut springs back when they emerge and the cell looks sealed. I saw this again at the association apiary last Saturday. Suggest you give the end of the cell a (gentle) nudge with a hive tool, you may be surprised.

 

[LauraB]

So the sneaky buggers might have resealed it!

I'll have a gentle look, I won't harm it will I? Whats the possibility of it having died?

 

[Hivemaker.]

If it has emerged and the cell resealed, you may find a dead bee inside.

 

[Poly Hive]

Yes. If the cell is sealed up use the tip of your hive tool to open it and if there is a back side showing then get it out and double check it's a worker.

PH

 

[susbees]

And they could be starting to polish a few cells?

 

[thurrock bees]

Yes. If the cell is sealed up use the tip of your hive tool to open it and if there is a back side showing then get it out and double check it's a worker.

PH

when/if you open it. a queen will be facing downwards and a workers should be facing upwards. i.e eating the royal jelly

 

[keithgrimes]

yes I found one of those the other day. Poor little worker bee went in for a free feed and they sealed it in. Rotten buggers.

 

[LauraB]

I won't panic if i see a dead bee then!
It is typical the books don't say any of this, wasn't expecting them to swarm in the first place as they all say 'if the queen is clipped she won't go until the QC is ready to hatch'! hmm!

 

[keithgrimes]

I won't panic if i see a dead bee then!
It is typical the books don't say any of this, wasn't expecting them to swarm in the first place as they all say 'if the queen is clipped she won't go until the QC is ready to hatch'! hmm!

If you see it head first its a queen, if its bum first its a worker

 

[Poly Hive]

What book says that?

Bees will swarm on open cells if they feel under pressure. Clipped q or no.

PH

 

[LauraB]

I think it was 'guide to bees and honey by ted hooper', but most of them say you'll get away with 14 days inspection if have clipped queen. Too late too worry about it now but it certainly focused my mind on bee behaviour!

 

[keithgrimes]

What book says that?

Bees will swarm on open cells if they feel under pressure. Clipped q or no.

PH

PH is right (as always). The swarm I had two weeks ago took off from a hive that only had an unsealed QC in it. I had made the beginners mistake of overfeeding a nuc and she had run out of laying space. When I went back in ten days later there were 8 sealed QCs !!

 

[susbees]

If you see it head first its a queen, if its bum first its a worker

Queens have been known to crawl back in head first, well at least in a roller cage. One would hope that wouldn't happen in a hive situation...even less that they'd be stupid enough to seal her back in.

 

[LauraB]

Well I carefully broke the end of the main hive QC .... oh dear a head ..... tore a little bit more off and a small nurse bee appear, hopefully died quite happily ..... so kept on with my inspection AND I SAW THE QUEEN!!!! looks a lot like the last one, she's huge .... so hopefully she's mating well and I'll see eggs/grubs in few weeks.

Now is there a chance she'll swarm, as there are still lots of bees in there, still few bits of brood left too but she should have lots of space to lay and 2 supers on for honey that they're still drawing out / filling?

And even the QC in the Nuc has hatched (didn't see queenie in there though) so looks like i was worrying for nothing!

Thanks for all the help.