Made up some nucs from a non productive colony on July 29. One nuc took the original queen. 24 hrs later I introduced new VSH queen. I checked hive today and the new queen is laying like gangbusters but I noticed on 3rd frame three capped queen cells. Should I take up down or let the bees do their thing. It's late in the season for them to be raising a queen but I think they know what they are doing? What about the VSH queen? Thanks for the advice.
New VSH queen issue?
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I'd take out the frame with the queen cells on it. They started them prior to your introduction of the new VSH queen while the old queen was still in there. If you allow them emerge the new queen will die for sure. Either make a new NUC or destroy those cells if you wish to keep your new queen.
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Sounds like they are the start of a new nuc - ready made for you.
ooorrr
Can you cut them out for 3 new nuc starts?
ooorrr
Can you cut them out for 3 new nuc starts?
Exactly what I was thinking but I started to doubt myself so I thought I would post and see what everyone else thought. Now I have to decide to destroy or make a nuc. Unfortunately they are on plastic foundation and cutting them out is difficult. I've done it before with a hot knife but it's messy.
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They did know what they were doing when they were queenless for 24 hours - they started queen cells while the means to do so were available.
This late in the season cells which were produced from a failing queen don't have much value to me - unless there is a compelling reason not to I would destroy them.
This late in the season cells which were produced from a failing queen don't have much value to me - unless there is a compelling reason not to I would destroy them.
Thanks Dave, yeah I suppose you are right. Less work for me that's for sure! The only value that I could (stretch) to see is the experimental value.
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Use the sharp end of your hive tool. I just did it myself to take one QC for one nuc and left the second for the hive that built it. I started kind of close, in order to not scrape up and push too much wax against the cell, but went all the way down to the plastic. This left kind of a nub for me to grasp and stick to another frame.
I have a scalpel blade I was going to use (10 blade, but an 11 might work better) but couldn't find it in the heat of the moment. Oh well. Ask your veterinarian for one.
Cut them out for sure!
It is not terribly unusual to see this. Your desired queen is laying well and every drop of brood can be used to build up this colony. Being from CT, the clock is ticking for you. There's a good chance that your new VSH queen will dispatch these herself once they reach a critical age, but I'd do her a favor. Lastly, you said this came from an unproductive queen, so why would you want to propagate her?
It is not terribly unusual to see this. Your desired queen is laying well and every drop of brood can be used to build up this colony. Being from CT, the clock is ticking for you. There's a good chance that your new VSH queen will dispatch these herself once they reach a critical age, but I'd do her a favor. Lastly, you said this came from an unproductive queen, so why would you want to propagate her?
Astrobee I am with ya but the weird thing is the queen was moved to a nuc an now she is doing well. It might of been the forage at this particular yard or something else. Not sure. I need to be more decisive and stop fiddling with dud queens. I hate pinching. 
If the old queen is doing well, then keep her laying until later and use her resources to boost other colonies. I know we all have stories of the under performing queen that turned the corner, but I'm not sure you've got the time to get her (and your new VSH queen) to wintering weight. Mr Palmer has great success overwintering nucs in VT, perhaps you could experiment?
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