[ivashka]

Checked my hive today and one of the frames had 2 queen cells right in the middle. I don't know what to do because I have never had it happen to me before.:scratchNEW BEE) I have one hive (carniolan) with poor queen, I took the queen out from carniolians and last saturday I combined it with 3lb Italians bees. They didnt' want to release queen from the cage. Queen was still in the case today so I, myself released her from the cage. They did 2 queen cells from the old carniolan queen eggs. I don't think this hive is big enough to make a split. I really want to keep carniolan queen cells, but don't know what to do.:s Any good and simple advise would help!!!

 

[theriverhawk]

If you are not wanting the keep the new queen/swarm cells, just pinch them off and kill them before your new queens are released. Her presence in the cage will deter them from making new Q cells...unless the hive is overcrowded. Then they are just trying to swarm. I pinch them off all the time when I am at a place of not wanting/needing any additional hives.

 

[Joseph Clemens]

If you have queen cells in the hive and you are introducing a new queen into that same hive, you need to know that a mated/laying queen will not usually destroy queen cells. When those virgins emerge they may kill your introduced queen, so beware.

 

[bhfury]

Are they full blown capped queen cells or just queen cell cups?

 

[TAL]

If you want to keep the cells you need to identify what your plan for them will be. If keeping for replacement queens I would need to evaluate why the mother queen failed. I would also use this logic if I wanted to use them for a split.


If I wanted to keep the cells for replacement queens I would remove the frame with the two cells and a frame of uncapped honey and place them into nuc box and reduce the entrance to nickle or quarter size. I would then move my nuc to my buddies b-yard to prevent drift back to the original location.
If this was not an option I would place the nuc in a cool all day shaded araea to prevent over heating and place a screen over the hole. Leave them locked up for a day and remove the screen the next evening about dark. Check in a couple weeks. The original hive should be strong enough by end of July to combine with these two and growing frames to be large enough to overwinter. Depending on your area you may need to feed.

If I wanted to make a split I would evaluate my resources. I would pinch the cells and feed for buildup. If you are lucky you can split in half in July giving the queenless split 4 of the frames of brood and insure you have eggs and larvae in the split. You will be breaking the mite cycle on the queenless split and your original hive will continue to grow. In the queenless split if you get multiple queen cells you can pinch the queen and now you will be breaking the mite cycle in the mother hive. No honey this year, but you will go into the winter with strong hives if you contiinue to feed. In the spring you will be ready to rock and roll. There are multiple ways to do this as well.

Hope this helps.

 

[ivashka]

bhfury: I know they are not just cups, they seem to be fully developed capped queen cells.


TAL: Do you have to make a nuc with 5 frames or you can go less than that?

theriverhawk: They are not swarm cells because I didn't have enought bees that's why I bought a package.

Thank you all for your replies and your advise. I greatly appreciate it.

 

[TAL]

TAL: Do you have to make a nuc with 5 frames or you can go less than that?

The number of frames you use depends on what you are doing with them.

Also, the resources on the frames limit what you can do as well.

Example 1: A frame with sealed brood clinging bees and another frame with open honey can be used to raise a queen off for later use. Always good to have one on hand.

Example 2: Standard five frame nuc box.
1. frame of foundation on one end.
2. frame with sealed brood.
3. frame with a cell and sealed brood.
4. frame of open honey and pollen.
5. Frame of drawn comb on the other end


The smallest walk away split without a cell that I have found succesful is:
1 frame honey and pollen
2 frame sealed brood with some eggs and larvae But mostly sealed brood.
3. frame open brood (larvae/eggs) small amount of sealed brood
4. frame sealed brood with some eggs and larvae But mostly sealed brood.
5. frame honey and pollen.
(you will want all the clinging bees on these frames but I do not shake in extra - some beekeepers do.)
*Note this results in a very strong nuc once the queen gets laying. Also results in a large number of foragers that can plug a nuc very quickly with nectar or if feeding with feed leading to a swarm. Pay close attention and give them the room they need. I make mine this way in the early spring so that they have built up enough to overwinter in a 10 frame. To make it a bit weaker place drawn comb in slot 4 and add a frame of foundation in slot 5. Many combinations of the above.

I guess that is why I enjoy beekeeping so much. There are many things you can do to manipulate the bees to get them to do what you want. To succeed I think you have to first identify what you are wanting to accomplish by your manipulation and secondly identify the resources that need to be available for the bees to make it happen. Getting the bees to understand well that is a whole nother story.

 

[mherndon]

I would be worried about the queen you released. Usually when queen cells are present, they would be considered queen right. This should be a difficult time to introduce a new queen. I would think that they would ball her. Did they show any aggression to her in her cage?

Mark