Ok, so i made a split or two. The 2nd plit made 8 cells, so I cut 2 out, and placed them into a nuc with a few frames of brood, pollen and honey. They made cells all around them and made them part of the frame. I noticed one of the ends is partially chewed off albeit not all the way through the tip of the cell. Will the nurse bees help the queen get out? First time making splits...so I am learning.
Will Nurse Bees help
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It is not uncommon for queen cells to be partially open. I guess they want to check on her regularly since the queen is so important to their survival.
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:lpf:
Can you say worry wart :lookout:
:lpf:
Can you say worry wart :lookout:
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Is there really a point to bothering with these nucs? you know you're going to just kill them all with your worrying and meddling anyway.
What you're doing wrong here is interrupting the bees 'natural' flow of things.
How do you sleep at night?
Big Bear
What you're doing wrong here is interrupting the bees 'natural' flow of things.
How do you sleep at night?
Big Bear
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1,683 Posts
they died?
Hey dog, I know I told you to not look for 3 weeks, but hey, when you're learning, you gotta look. Even if you weren't learning you'd have to look. It took me 10 years to not look, and sometimes I still have to peek. 
Look all you want, if it messes them up you can make up another. The bees will rough up and thin the tip of the Qcells when they get close to hatching. If there are more than one cell and they are deciding they want to swarm, they can keep a queen from hatching all the way out if the want to by keeping the tip closed in on the queen. Sounds like they are doing fine, and so are you, keep looking and learning. I'd advise not touching the queen until she is mated and has sealed brood. It'll take to that point for her to be nice and stable in the hive. I used to mark virgins, now I never mark until she has sealed brood hatching out.
Look all you want, if it messes them up you can make up another. The bees will rough up and thin the tip of the Qcells when they get close to hatching. If there are more than one cell and they are deciding they want to swarm, they can keep a queen from hatching all the way out if the want to by keeping the tip closed in on the queen. Sounds like they are doing fine, and so are you, keep looking and learning. I'd advise not touching the queen until she is mated and has sealed brood. It'll take to that point for her to be nice and stable in the hive. I used to mark virgins, now I never mark until she has sealed brood hatching out.
LOL..No Honeyshack, they didn't die. 2 Nucs have virgin queens and both are doing great. They are bringing in pollen and Nectar and playing with the kids yesterday, they both had very large orientation flights from the frames of brood i had in them. I didnt mess with them. The third is the one where i cut some excess cells out of Nuc 2 and made up a 3rd Nuc on advise from Ray and Bigbearomaha....and honestly, watching FBM's video on youtube. I only checked on the one with the cut cells. I didn't pull frames, just popped the lid and you could see the tip of the cell had been thinned and chewed away. It peeked my interest as I had never done that before, and I know that i didnt scratch the tip of the cell.
I was asking the question seeking to gain more knowledge, as most beeks would, and it would seem that a few thought i was harassing or worrying about the bees. If I messed up somehow, then so be it and I'll recombine with my large hive and try again later.
Everyone here knows that you can read all the books you want, but, the bees don't read the same books. My thinking on this was that instead of being given a hard time, some of the seasoned beeks would give advice instead, to which some did, and I am very appreciative........and I just ignored Honeyman...LOLOL.
To some, having honeybees is a job, to some, having honeybees is for fun. To all of us, there is a passion to it, to learn from them, to understand them if possible......or we wouldn't be doing it. At some point, seasoned beeks need to realize that not all of us have been doing this forever and us newbees........ we are seeking advice, not condemnation......otherwise the newbees will stop posting and asking, and I fear that more than anything. Me, my skin is as tough as anyones here....literally and figuratively.....and I'll just ignore ya unless you wanna get personal. Thanks for the advise Ray....I made that mistake once my first swarm.....and guess what.....I LEARNED FROM IT...cool concept actually.
I was asking the question seeking to gain more knowledge, as most beeks would, and it would seem that a few thought i was harassing or worrying about the bees. If I messed up somehow, then so be it and I'll recombine with my large hive and try again later.
Everyone here knows that you can read all the books you want, but, the bees don't read the same books. My thinking on this was that instead of being given a hard time, some of the seasoned beeks would give advice instead, to which some did, and I am very appreciative........and I just ignored Honeyman...LOLOL.
To some, having honeybees is a job, to some, having honeybees is for fun. To all of us, there is a passion to it, to learn from them, to understand them if possible......or we wouldn't be doing it. At some point, seasoned beeks need to realize that not all of us have been doing this forever and us newbees........ we are seeking advice, not condemnation......otherwise the newbees will stop posting and asking, and I fear that more than anything. Me, my skin is as tough as anyones here....literally and figuratively.....and I'll just ignore ya unless you wanna get personal. Thanks for the advise Ray....I made that mistake once my first swarm.....and guess what.....I LEARNED FROM IT...cool concept actually.
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