Where is consensus on bees moving eggs into QCs?

[TryingToLetThemBee]

...OK, cups technically. Because I have always been sceptical but am beginning to think they might. Latest evidence is I sold a Q+ nuc from a colony yesterday. A bit of seller's regret led me to graft from the remaining brood and they were busy working on queen cups. Fair enough, but they were all still empty 24h after going Q-. I've destroyed a natural experiment by using them as a starter but I'll check the cups anyway for obvious reasons, including curiosity.

First post for a while: hope everyone is OK.

 

[pargyle]

Yep .. it's been a while ... good to see you back. Most people are still here and a few old friends have come back. Just a couple on (hopefully) a long holiday ...

It's been really good on here for the last few weeks ..

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Yep .. it's been a while ... good to see you back. Most people are still here and a few old friends have come back. Just a couple on (hopefully) a long holiday ...

It's been really good on here for the last few weeks ..

It's like a different place

Welcome back

 

[Erichalfbee]

..

First post for a while: hope everyone is OK.

Most of us are much better than we were
Welcome back
Sorry don’t know about moving eggs though

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Thanks all. Keep well.

 

[Goran]

I didn't hear or saw evidence that bees move eggs into qcs.. I personally think - no.

 

[beeno]

I think no too. If they did there would be no need for emergency cells.

 

[Finman]

.
Lets think emergency queen rearing.
When you take the aying queen off, why workers do not start to move eggs to queen cell cups ? If they have such skill? Every hive has ready cups.

 

[beeno]

.
Lets think emergency queen rearing.
When you take the aying queen off, why workers do not start to move eggs to queen cell cups ? If they have such skill? Every hive has ready cups.

My sentiments exactly.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Makes sense and what I have always thought. I suppose after 24h they might not have needed to draw the EQCs so I might not notice them. I'll look again tomorrow when I move the grafts to the finisher. Thanks for the debate!

 

[Woodland bees]

So if the consensus is eggs are not moved what happens when you find a Q cell above the queen excluder and there's no other brood up there?

I've had this once on a colony where I had broken down the Q cells a few times and a quick search shows I'm not alone.

The Q has slipped through to lay a single egg and slipped back?

 

[Goran]

So if the consensus is eggs are not moved what happens when you find a Q cell above the queen excluder and there's no other brood up there?

I've had this once on a colony where I had broken down the Q cells a few times and a quick search shows I'm not alone.

The Q has slipped through to lay a single egg and slipped back?

Was it sealed?

 

[Woodland bees]

Was it sealed?

In my case it was and it had contents. At the time I was more concerned by the colony swarming rather than the question of eggs being moved so I didn't investigate fully. However, there seems to be plenty of other reports so it makes me wonder.

I would say it is possible but probably very rare. If I have a colony making swarm preps I will have a quick look above the Q excluder.

 

[Goran]

I doubt the bees moved it. I saw before similar above qe, but bees wipe out later. I presume due to be away from queen pheromones some worker bee fire some eggs which later are removed. But if it was really normal egg from a queen.. Maybe You lift up a frame during manipulation. In a pic below you can see where queen laid only a qcell and rest of frame none..
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/album.php?albumid=523&pictureid=2792

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

So if the consensus is eggs are not moved what happens when you find a Q cell above the queen excluder and there's no other brood up there?

Same as when you find one in a queenless hive - laying workers

 

[gp125john]

I had a hopelessly Q- colony that had been been that way for well over 2 weeks. I put in 1 frame of eggs and larvae and by the next inspection, not only were there lovely queen cells on the frame I put in, but also on other frames throughout the hive.

I don't see what other explaination there could be than the bees moving larvae around. Why they would do that I don't know either. A real puzzle.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

not only were there lovely queen cells on the frame I put in, but also on other frames throughout the hive.

so did the 'other' frames produce a viable queen?

 

[madasafish]

I had a hopelessly Q- colony that had been been that way for well over 2 weeks. I put in 1 frame of eggs and larvae and by the next inspection, not only were there lovely queen cells on the frame I put in, but also on other frames throughout the hive.

I don't see what other explaination there could be than the bees moving larvae around. Why they would do that I don't know either. A real puzzle.

You are assuming the QCs on "the other frames" were viable..

I have found QCs in Q- hives made using unfertilsed eggs eg drones. The resulting QCs were very long.

 

[Goran]

You are assuming the QCs on "the other frames" were viable..

I have found QCs in Q- hives made using unfertilsed eggs eg drones. The resulting QCs were very long.

False queen cells on a pic ( laying worker colony - drone larvae).

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/album.php?albumid=523&pictureid=2791

 

[Swarm]

Yes, it's desperation.