Queen Cells, What next???

kkauf · 2014-07-11

opened a hive today and found at least a dozen capped queen cells, obviously they're ready to swarm I'm just not sure about what to do now.

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Intheswamp

· #2 · Jul 12, 2014

Not quiet a month ago you were talking about splitting your hives. What is the status of all that now? Did you split?

I'm not sure about the seasonal timing of things up your way, but you could start some nucs with some of the cells. Do an artificial swarm by moving the queen, some brood (NO QUEEN CELLS) and honey/pollen to another box and let a queen from one of the cells requeen the original hive.

Several directions to go in but someone that knows your season needs to say whether to make nucs or not. I would think you still have time, but I'm still a rank newbie to such things.

Ed

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Tavery

· #3 · Jul 13, 2014

I m in the same shape with a double deep, in the beginning of the summer nectar lull. I pulled the queen cells off of it and made three splits in last month. third one I just took the frame with some QC. added bees from a more vigorous hive, and let the other hive replace their queen (again) or swarm since they insist on it. I am guessing they will continue to do this until I allow them to get it over with. They won't draw comb on new foundation (even when feeding sugar), there are no eggs to be found, just some a couple dozen worker brood in the whole place ready to be capped.
I am not sure what they need that they don't have, could be they just want to duplicate themselves and nothing I can do but keep taking splits till my entire bee yard is full of hives that want to swarm. I don't think so.
I am surprised that some of the more experienced on this site have not chimed in to your thread. Could it be that you didn't ask a straight forward question?
So I'll try it.

What to do with a hive that continues to make swarm cells and/or queen cells, even when there is a queen laying and they already replaced her earlier in the year ?

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Intheswamp

· #4 · Jul 13, 2014

I've read where using swarm cells from a colony that repetively swarms can result in breeding more swarm prone colonies. No experience with that, but thought I'd share it...something to think about until an experienced beekeeper chimes in.

Personally, I would re-queen the swarmy colony and get the genetics out of the apiary.

Ed

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bbruff22

· #5 · Jul 13, 2014

Tavery, I'm also in the similar shape. I have one hive (this year package) that swarmed on 6/8. The remainders are in a double deep, with a super on that. I found a number of supersedure and swarm cells yesterday. After the first swarm, they were able to get a queen mated and back to the hive, and she looks to be laying well. I don't know what they think they need. We're definitely heading into a lull here in KS, and if this swarm leaves, they'll die this winter, and I'll have a remainder that will be weak and have to raise another queen. It's frustrating.

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Tavery

· #6 · Jul 13, 2014

bbruff22, Michael Bush responded to a thread you are part of that helped me get a handle on some options and causes
(300913-Please-help-with-swarm-questions!)

Michael's response gives me courage to just split the two deeps and then recombine after one of them comes up with a queen or leave as separate hives if they both do.
I am expecting these girls to keep this up though. but will give them an opportunity to get established (feeding if I must), see how next spring goes, if they insist on swarming I'll distribute the bees into weak hives, get rid of the queens (make bee lure out of them).
Or move on with better Queens that I Would buy (or steal daughters from one of our 'good' queens) and salvage these bees like that.
If all the queens i have taken off this hive survive? and they keep up the swarming or I don't figure out what i am doing to cause it, I will spend a lot of time getting no where with making established hives and honey production. but at least will be populating the world around me with frustratingly prolific pollinators.

sorry I don't know how to make a link to mentioned thread, it was started by beebell i think

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bbruff22

· #7 · Jul 13, 2014

Tavery, I remember that thread. Anytime Michael Bush or Mike Palmer chime in, you're hearing from a couple of the most quoted and "famous" beeks of this generation. I'm going to look at that thread again myself. (Of course, there are many great ones on this site, some with decades of experience and willing to share.)

I'm hoping that my cells are supersedure cells, although some are on the bottom. I'm out of equipment and frankly out of patience with this hive. I have a new package hive right next to it that's been a dream. I'm going to get quite a bit of honey from it, with no issues to date. The swarm that I caught and rehived has been acting right as well, with no swarm or supersedure cells found in the last couple of inspections. They may not get enough comb built out to make it, but they are trying.

Good luck to you! Keep me posted on what happens, and I'll do the same.

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kkauf

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jul 13, 2014

I dont know what I'm doing wrong either. Maybe they just need to swarm. I went ahead and split mine. Three mediums to three seperate hives made sure they all had some cells. The cells are all capped, how long until the queen emerges? I hope the increase hive survive but if I just get one of them through winter I'' be happy.

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umchuck

· #9 · Jul 13, 2014

I don't know if you are doing anything wrong, bees just growing, snakes shed their skin, crabs lose their shells, and bees swarm, I too just had to make a slit and figured if it isn't strong enough for the winter I will combine and pinch one of the queens, good luck

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bbruff22

· #10 · Jul 14, 2014

Kkauf, check out Mr. Bush's bee math page. It'll help. http://www.bushfarms.com/beesmath.htm

The day I had my swarm, I was down in the dumps and thought I had done something wrong. One of our club (NEKBA) master beeks that help us through a Facebook page, said basically that. I've studied up quite a bit since, and I should have been more vigilent, but healthy hives swarm to reproduce. That's what they do. Next season, I'll be prepared to "try" to manage that more, but all these swarm threads out here, with very experienced beeks involved just prove that you can't always manage it.

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