[VixyB]

Hi,

I started my hive at the beginning of June this year. Everything has been going really well and the bees have filled three frames with honey already.

I checked them last weekend and they seemed overly quiet and the queen was very active. There were a few queen cups and an uncapped queen cell which I removed.

This weekend the queen appears to have disappeared and the bees seemed quite agitated. There are 6 capped queen cells in the hive, a couple of which I removed yesterday.

My question is this - given where we are in the season - should I let them create their own queen or should I introduce a new queen?

If I go for the new queen option - should I remove all of the queen cells and what should I do if one of them hatches in the meantime?

Any advice would be much appreciated!!

 

[Hops Brewster]

It looks to me like they might have made your mind up for you. If you have a mated queen in your hand today, and if the cells are still capped, you could requeen it. Otherwise, if the cells have opened,
you will have a new virgin.

 

[mrobinson]

A queen of their own making is probably better than a "mutt" from somewhere else. Let Nature take its course.