[EastSideBuzz]

So I built a 4 chamber Queen Castle with 3 frames per chamber. I was thinking of putting a couple shakes of bee's and letting them build out the small frames. Then after they think they are queenless add a queen. Let her lay eggs and then move her to the next chamber. Do the same thing. Then they will realize they are queen-less and make a queen. Then I can pull the queen and use her for a NUC. I am going to do some queen cells but, thought this would be a slow queen maker and keep the queen castle working.

SKU: IN-155 http://www.mannlakeltd.com/ProductDetail.asp?idproduct=1094&idCategory=
made one of these out of plywood instead. Small modifications http://www.tc.umn.edu/~reute001/Plan files/pMini Mating Nuc 4x4.pdf


What are the thoughts on doing this to create some queens.?

 

[Specialkayme]

Wouldn't that add alot of stress to the queen? Taking her from her hive, then moving her into the 1st part, second part, third part, fourth part, then back into the hive. Each time you have a chance of her not being accepted (although a small chance in a queenless hive). Even if she is accepted, each time she has a new set of attendants, a new hive to get used to. Now, doing it five times in a few days, that's alot to ask.

Why not put her in the first section, wait a day, and move a frame of eggs from the first to the second. Then wait a day, move a frame of eggs from the first to the third, and so on. When all four have eggs, move the queen back to her hive. Should take her four days at max, maybe less. This way, you get the same thing, only have to move her twice though.

 

[Tara]

Put in your couple shakes of bees WITHOUT the divider boards. Put in the queen, let her do her thing for a week. Take her out. Put in the divider boards. Wah-lah, 4 new 'nucs' and less stress on the queen, and no frame moving for you every day.

 

[beedeetee]

It seems like you will (at best) get a bunch of emergency queens (rather than swarm or supersedure) made by weak hives. Seems like a lot of work for what will probably yield weak queens.

 

[Specialkayme]

But Emergency queens CAN be good queens, given the right conditions. The only thing that makes emergency queens inferior is insufficient stores which creates poor royal jelly, or larvae that is chosen that is too old. If you only have eggs in the nuc, the larvae won't be too old. If you make sure they have plenty of sugar water, pollen, and are overall happy you won't have a problem with poor diet. Given the right situation, emergency queens will become just as good as supersedure or swarm queens.

 

[mythomane]

Does not sound like a good idea for a number of reasons. The Castle is for capped cells/hatched queens. Good queens come from good strong hives, not weak nucs.

 

[EastSideBuzz]

See this is why I asked the question. Bad idea I had. I will make some queen cells and then place them in the queen castle. Thanks for setting me strait.