Queen on Grass update

[Robbie & Jans Bees]

Well just got back from looking at the girls, the dead queen I found on the

grass was out of hive 2 when we open it up today we found 37 Q/C in different stages, by Hec they have been busy now what should I do with all these Q/C any ideas. They are AMM's black as your hat.

Robbie

 

[oliver90owner]

Remove 36 of them. Or remove all 37 and requeen.

 

[enrico]

Your only option is to go through them removing all except for one, gutting but necessary!
E

 

[For want of a better word]

Your only option is to go through them removing all except for one, gutting but necessary!
E

 

[charlievictorbravo]

You could try breeding some queens

BiglongDarren put a thread up last November ( http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=21480) showing how, with a bit of home-made kit, he was able to take queen cells from his hives and grow them on to mature queens. I tried the above link just now but it did not show the photos but others may have copied them for their use. I had intended to make this bit of kit in the winter to try out next year.
If you have not yet taken the QCs down, you might want to try it. What you then do with the spare queens, I don't know!
Does anybody know how we can retrieve to missing photos?
Colin

 

[masterBK]

If you like this colony leave just one selected queen cell in the colony BUT also take out a 3 comb nuc with a cell as insurance in case the other one goes missing on mating flight or doesn't get mated properly. If you don't like this colony then destroy all queen cells and unite to one of your others or requeen if you have a suitable queen available

 

[Robbie & Jans Bees]

Thanks guys I would like to make use of them but not sure? D do you have any of your little matting nuc,s spare??? D if not is there somewhere local I could pick some up? Robbie

 

[MuswellMetro]

Remove 36 of them. Or remove all 37 and requeen.

agree with RAB,

They would i be swarm cells as you found the queen dead in the grass on the 8th, unlikely to have made 37 cells (in all stages) in two days and think you queen left in a swarm on the capping of the first Qu cell and could not fly (damaged wing marking?), hence on the ground cold and dead

You need to look at your inspection records and work out why they might have swarmed, what did you see at the last inspection , did she have space to lay, number of frames brood, honey in brood area, space in supers, how many supers on, when was the last inspection, we need more info to help you

in my experience vary rare for AMM black bees to make swarm cells in august unless the hive is honey blocked as you have full supers

 

[Robbie & Jans Bees]

Hi I think we have found our problem I purchase 10 Q/E from Frag--- Plan--- the bees don't seem to be able to get up in the supers and this I think has reduced the space for the queens to lay. On Saturday we removed the offending Q/E I had a quick check today and there are bees in every super. As for the Q/C I think I will check on Friday its only in hive 2 so won't take long I will take photo and post. Thanks for the advice. Robbie

 

[MuswellMetro]

Hi I think we have found our problem I purchase 10 Q/E from Frag--- Plan--- the bees don't seem to be able to get up in the supers and this I think has reduced the space for the queens to lay. On Saturday we removed the offending Q/E I had a quick check today and there are bees in every super. As for the Q/C I think I will check on Friday its only in hive 2 so won't take long I will take photo and post. Thanks for the advice. Robbie

yes ,Was it a slotted metal one did you put it slots parrell to frame gaps or with slots at right angle to the frame gaps

i only use framed wire QE as it does not matter with way it is orientated but with a metal slots QE with no bees space under, if you get it wrong you can severely reduce the slots the bees can use to get to the super

 

[For want of a better word]

Thanks guys I would like to make use of them but not sure? D do you have any of your little matting nuc,s spare??? D if not is there somewhere local I could pick some up? Robbie

PM sent... Beehivesupplies up road from me has new stock... but with your chippieing skills you could make some up !

 

[keith pierce]

we found 37 Q/C in different stages. They are AMM's black as your hat.

Robbie

Hi Robbie,

That's a huge amount of queen cells. Your bees may be black but I doubt they are amm. Average number of queens cells that I get is about 8 and the max would be about 12. Amm are known for having a low number of queen cells and would be absolutely no use in the commercial production of royal jelly

 

[For want of a better word]

Hi Robbie,

That's a huge amount of queen cells. Your bees may be black but I doubt they are amm. Average number of queens cells that I get is about 8 and the max would be about 12. Amm are known for having a low number of queen cells and would be absolutely no use in the commercial production of royal jelly

Yes but there them bees is Kernows Blackest and best !

Robbie M8....You will have to let us have a sample so we can do the wing morphometry and possibly submit some drones for nuclear DNA microsatellite testing if they look good!

 

[Robbie & Jans Bees]

Hi D, yes I will try and get a sample this weekend, the hive in question is one Joe look at and said that they were AMM, its the first hive we started with 3 years ago the one you said were very quite when you visited home. I don't think they have changed colour since we move them two years ago. Keith I can only assume are Cornish Bees are
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