Tear down of capped queen cells?

[shoefly]

In the observation I saw two capped queen cells. I thought the queen cells would remain intact for 8 days after capping and a virgin queen would emerge. Now, two days after capping the queens cells are neatly opened from the top and bees are working on them. The hive was queenless. What happened? I haven't seen a new queen as I could have missed seeing another queen cell at the bottom of the frame.

[norton]

when was the last time you used checkmite?

[shoefly]

I stay away from organo phosphates. This is an observation hive. They are not treated at all.

[Michael Bush]

>In the observation I saw two capped queen cells.

After what? It was queenless and you gave them a frame of brood? You THOUGHT it was queenless and you gave them some queen cells?

>I thought the queen cells would remain intact for 8 days after capping and a virgin queen would emerge.

Basically, yes.

>Now, two days after capping the queens cells are neatly opened from the top and bees are working on them.

Sounds like the work of a virgin queen.

>The hive was queenless.

You thought. What was your reason for beliving it was queenless?

>What happened? I haven't seen a new queen

You seldom see a virgin in a regular hive, but in an observation hive you should be able to find her eventually. She won't move like a queen, won't be as big as a queen and will try to hide.

>as I could have missed seeing another queen cell at the bottom of the frame.

There's a likely possibility.

[shoefly]

Thanks for the reply. Actually, I'd like to appologize for causing confusion. ...or not looking close or long enough at the queen cells. In all the up and down crowded confines of the observation hive the queen cell was apparently fine all along. Today, a beautiful golden virgin queen emerged and is now running up and down the comb. The queen cell is nicely roundly uncapped with the cap still connected on a thread. The queen is running around without a court of groupies. Hopefully, she'll make it back from the mating flight.

Michael, a while back I had removed the old queen with a frame of older brood as the observation hive was going too strong. In the queenless period, they brought in so much honey that there is barely a cell left for brood. When the queen makes it back from the mating flight I may give her some brood comb.

[tecumseh]

shoefly sezs:
Now, two days after capping the queens cells are neatly opened from the top and bees are working on them.

tecumseh replies:
A method of telling exactly how far along your queen cells have developed is the bees will begin to sharpen the end of the queen cell beginning about two days prior to emerging.

[Michael Bush]

As tecumseh says, the tip of the cell changes as they remove the wax and you see a more fiberous brown end intead of a waxy end at two days prior to emergence.