Tearing down Q cells question

[birdsandbees]

Springing all the virgins leads to much confusion
The new queens don’t all fight it out or swarm.
The bees sort it out leaving one hopefully.

Step 7 page 16
http://www.wbka.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/There-Are-Queen-Cells-In-My-Hive-WBKA-WAG.pdf

It's the hopefully bit that concerns me. a bit like the advice to leave two queen cells, having done that in the past and have them swarm on one of them it's not something I do anymore.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It's the hopefully bit that concerns me. a bit like the advice to leave two queen cells, having done that in the past and have them swarm on one of them it's not something I do anymore.

You only do it if you suspect that one virgin (at least) is already at large, safer to risk a subsequent cast than be almost guaranteed several.

 

[Swarm]

I find the confusion caused by springing them results in no further swarming.

 

[gmonag]

Complete newbee here...

I used Wally Shaw's queen pulling method last month, releasing 3 virgins from QCs into the hive. It seems to have worked a treat! No casts and a new queen that is laying great slabs of brood.

I am open to any and all suggestions, but in particular Wally Shaw's pamphets seem to give sound practical advice.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I am open to any and all suggestions, but in particular Wally Shaw's pamphets seem to give sound practical advice.

I'll paraphrase some of his own words to describe him

'a beekeeper who spends most of his time with his nose in a hive, not a book'


And at eighty twelve years old he still seems unstoppable

 

[birdsandbees]

You only do it if you suspect that one virgin (at least) is already at large, safer to risk a subsequent cast than be almost guaranteed several.

Marvellous

Certainly a lot quicker than meticulously checking for a Virgin at large, I may try that.

 

[Eddie_H]

I find the confusion caused by springing them results in no further swarming.

Can you explain ‘springing’?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Can you explain ‘springing’?

Opening all the queen cells to let the virgins out.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Can you explain ‘springing’?

Opening all the queen cells to let the virgins out.

Also known as 'pulling' queens but I tend not to use that term any more as it only results in fits of giggles and rolling eyes if it's used in the company of my brother and his husband.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

If there is a virgin in the hive or you let out a virgin and there are other queencells in the hive the virgin will fly. If you have no queencells in the hive, then any queens with fight it out themselves. Ted Hooper Guide to Bees and Honey.

(So it's the presence of the queencell that promotes the swarm, not a queen. Usually).

 

[masterBK]

Some release a queen from a mature cell by flicking off the lid (capping) and the queen emerges head first, others pull the cell away from its base and the queen backs out of the cell .

 

[Erichalfbee]

Whichever is easiest
Usually a combination of both
If one or more have already emerged in my experience the bees have been keeping some back and disturbing the frames often has them suddenly jumping out.

 

[Swarm]

And the bees look at each other and shrug their shoulders.

 

[Eddie_H]

Opening all the queen cells to let the virgins out.

I thought that.

 

[Apimama]

Yes. Every one.
The bees will sort it
Have a look here.
Read every bit
http://www.wbka.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/There-Are-Queen-Cells-In-My-Hive-WBKA-WAG.pdf

Thank you for posting this - very informative

 

[Eddie_H]

Virgins can and do swarm ... the first one after the prime swarm is a caste and it will be headed up by a virgin .. she will go on her mating flight from her new home ..

In the instance you now describe you probably did the right thing by tearing it down ...but .. did you miss seeing the second queen cell when you saw the first after they had swarmed with the old queen ?...

It is possible that the virgin that emerged from the first queen cell has swarmed .. in which case ... you now have a hopelessly queenless colony as they have no eggs to make a new queen !

If you are not sure you have a virgin queen in there (have you seen her ?) then it might be wise to put a test frame with eggs in there and see if they build another queen cell.

You should never knock down all queen cells unless you are sure you have a queen (mated or virgin) in the colony.

So....

Luckily, the Queen in the hive has started to lay,, so I didn’t leave it Q-less after all...

But, I will bear in in mind the advice on Tearing Down Q-cells.. the first emerged Q could have swarmed even if not mated!