Queen cell in nuc

1658 Views 9 Replies 7 Participants Last post by David LaFerney, May 7, 2014

ErikB

Discussion Starter · #1 · May 5, 2014

I picked up 2 nucs on the 26th of April and installed them the same day, both had capped brood. I didn't see the queen on the first one but saw one in the second one nuc. I put top feeders on both and have seen lots of activity the last week. I opened up the first hive today (the one I didn't see a queen in) and there is a queen cell on one of the frames, the second hive is fine, saw the queen again today. I contacted the seller and he said all nucs were inspected and had a laying queen when picked up but sometimes they supercede. He offered me a queen but I can't pick it up until Saturday. Should I go get the queen or wait and see if the cell hatches? I know I will be a few weeks ahead if I go get the queen but it's and hour and half drive round each way to get it but I will do it if it's best.

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David LaFerney

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Joined Jan 14, 2009

5,184 Posts

#10 · May 7, 2014

If you are going to introduce a caged queen you should go ahead and remove cells, and then again at the time of introduction. I would also give them a frame of open brood. If they don't build cells on it then they have a queen and will kill the caged one.

I would probably let them make a queen and have the dealer mail the replacement to me - when she arrived I would install her in a nuc with one frame of brood from the queenright hive and a frame of honey from the queenless hive. A spare queen is a fine thing to have.