[jeremy6638]

I introduced a cell grid and cups into my strongest hive and placed the queen inside. The next day the temperature dropped so I waited one more day to retrieve the cell grid. The queen had filled all 100 cell cups with eggs. The temperature outside was 60 degrees F, so I brought the eggs inside to transfer to my bar. My question is could the eggs have died in the short time I had them out of the hive? It has been 3 days and the bees have done nothing with the cell cups and the eggs have not hatched.

 

[jeremy6638]

Yes, I used the nicot system. I put the cell bar in a queen less hive with nurse bees. In the nicot system you transfer eggs not larvae. Also the queen less hive was made with the bees from the hive I took the eggs from. I did everything the way I was supposed to using the nicot system. I believe the 60 degree temps may have killed the eggs before I got them back in the hive. I was simply wondering if anyone else has tried making queens at lower temps. The problem is if I wait for warmer temperatures, I won't have Nucs made until July.

 

[jeremy6638]

Thank you Radar and little john for the info. This weekend looks like good weather. I will go back to the drawing board and try again. I have always created new queens with splits and that has always worked well for my needs. I decided to try something different this year to try and control the genetics of my apiary a little better. I was hoping to get a bunch of queens from my strongest colony. Instead, so far I have only managed to weaken my strongest colony. I will try waiting until the eggs are larvae this time and then transfer to the now hopelessly queenless colony.