[ErikB]

I have 2 nucs that I installed on the 26th of April which was a Saturday and I inspected them both on May 4th and found a queen cell in one of them. I contacted the seller and he said they were all inspected for a laying queen before pickup and both nucs had capped brood in them when I hived them, he told me I could get a new queen from him today which has been 14 days since I picked them up. I just went out and inspected again and I can't find the queen cell anywhere, there is what looks like a cup on the side of a frame, how much of the cell is left after the queen emerges? I don't want to drive 1.5 hours each way to get a new queen and have her be killed if the virgin has emerged. It has only been 14 days since I picked them up so I didn't think that was enough time for a queen to hatch.

 

[biggraham610]

how much of the cell is left after the queen emerges? a queen to .

I will defer to the wiser, but with what little knowledge I have gained, a successful queen hatch will be a nice perfect hole in the end of the peanut shaped cell. If the side is torn out that is a second queen killed before hatching after the first has hatched. I had one hatch a week ago, and the cell is still there fully. My .02. Im new at this.

 

[ErikB]

I'm kinda leaning towards going and getting the queen just to be safe, I'm beginning to wonder now if my eyes were playing tricks on me but I am positive I saw a capped queen cell last Sunday but it's nowhere to be found now.

 

[biggraham610]

They might tear them down after hatching Im not sure, know mine was there for another week. Cant go wrong with a mated queen, the birds cant get her, she needs no mating flight. Hope they accept her. Good Luck. G

 

[JRG13]

Do you see any evidence of a laying queen?