supercedure cell, options

[mark1]

got my nuc last year and have never seen the queen but she is definitely there, during a inspection today a found a supercedure cell in the middle of a frame as well as a few queen play cups and drones. what are my options considering I cannot find the queen, idealy I don't want another hive but could make up a nuc, thanks

 

[enrico]

If it is a supercedure cell, in theory you don't have to do anything, they should dispose of the old queen and the new one will take over...... However, sometimes they do decide to swarm. My suggestion is to leave alone, IF they DO swarm then try and collect it for your nuc!
E

 

[oliver90owner]

''Cannot find the queen''

Often an exaggeration or an excuse for not really trying.

Split the frames into two boxes. Queen will be in one of them, yes?

Which part is calm and settled and which part is agitated and noisy?

Now you know where the queen is, don't you? Wasn't difficult? In fact quite easy!

As long as she is not on the frame with the supercedure cell, your problem is over (at his stage).

You should now have two nuc sized potential colonies and can split/reduce the queen's share further by the same method, although it may be a little more difficult to isolate the queen to just a couple of frames.

At this time of the year and it being your only colony, I would certainly try to keep the queen going in a nuc, at least until the emerging queen is mated and a proven worker layer. And preferably until you can assess the temperament of her offspring! What you do then is up to you.

RAB

 

[enrico]

It helps to find the queen if you can get help from a more experienced pair of eyes!
E

 

[Tomo]

I found my queen for the first time last week. Really not too hard if you plan on how you are going to search a frame and do things systematically. It took me about 2 minutes to find her! If you go to u-tube and type in something like "how to find a queen bee" then you will find lots of helpful advice. One point to make is that if you are going to continue in bee keeping then this is a skill you must learn. Good luck and let us know how you get on. If you apply your self to the task it really will make you smile when you see her for the first time.

 

[Erichalfbee]

One thing I always do is to look first on the other side of the frame (this has been facing the others in the box and has been darker)
Whichever frame she's on its usually on that side.

 

[theeggman]

One thing I always do is to look first on the other side of the frame (this has been facing the others in the box and has been darker)
Whichever frame she's on its usually on that side.

But you need to be fast as she will dash around to the other side away from light.
Last week we found and marked 2 Q's from last year, by the time we realised they were there and found the marking pen and cage they'd vanished, so the search restarted.

 

[Erichalfbee]

When queen hunting have an assistant with the paraphernalia

 

[theeggman]

My assistant was semi asleep!! BOTH times!!!
Maybe if I paid her more, or something, things might improve.
Her current pay is honey on the porridge, I don't eat it.

Tim.

 

[enrico]

My assistant was semi asleep!! BOTH times!!!
Maybe if I paid her more, or something, things might improve.
Her current pay is honey on the porridge, I don't eat it.

Tim.

Porridge or honey? Or both!