[rmdial]

I have moved some frames with queen cells on them to nucs trying to get them to raise queens. Not much luck in general. But today I was in one of the nucs and saw a very small queen cruising around. Her shape was exactly that of a queen but on the small side. Since this is a first for me, I am looking for guidance. Is it a virgin? Do I leave her alone or get rid of her and put the bees back in the original hive? Your thoughts please.

Thanks in advance.

Soapy

 

[Dale Rose]

Check the queen cells to see if any hatched out. Sounds like a virgin queen. Leave the nuc alone. 5-7 days she will mature and get mated. You should see brood in 2-3 weeks.

 

[mothergoosemagic]

rmdial is correct. *and* you need to wait until she's at least 21 days old before deciding whether or not to replace her. If you're seeing scattered eggs and/or larva, give her another week to get her act together. Sometimes new queens need a little practice to get their aim just right.

By age 21 days, she's already been as mated as she's ever going to be, and her ovaries have matured. By 28 days, she's as good as she's ever going to get.