The general advice is to be v. gentle with queen cells ... don't even shake the bees off the frame ... so I suspect any cell damage will be a problem. Remember that the developing queen is toward the bottom of the cell.
If there were new also eggs on the frame I'd be tempted to remove the damaged cell and allow them to prepare another ... once there is an occupied cell I'd knock the others off and let them raise the Q undisturbed.
Better that they start again now, rather than raising a dud queen and then having to provide another frame of eggs from the main hive. As you suggest, you could also return the frame to the hive and then allow them to raise another.
I've done exactly what you did with a QC on the bottom of the frame i.e. crushed it against the bottom of a nuc. If the cell was sealed you can gently cut it out and fix it further up the frame, wedged between adjacent frames. However, if the cell was sealed it's likely that the original hive would have swarmed. Perhaps think about making a short eke to lift the frame an inch or so in the nuc??
Tell us what happens.
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fatshark
If there were new also eggs on the frame I'd be tempted to remove the damaged cell and allow them to prepare another ... once there is an occupied cell I'd knock the others off and let them raise the Q undisturbed.
Better that they start again now, rather than raising a dud queen and then having to provide another frame of eggs from the main hive. As you suggest, you could also return the frame to the hive and then allow them to raise another.
I've done exactly what you did with a QC on the bottom of the frame i.e. crushed it against the bottom of a nuc. If the cell was sealed you can gently cut it out and fix it further up the frame, wedged between adjacent frames. However, if the cell was sealed it's likely that the original hive would have swarmed. Perhaps think about making a short eke to lift the frame an inch or so in the nuc??
Tell us what happens.
--
fatshark