So I learned my lesson. Check the weather forecast before making up a nuc.
I split 3 weeks ago. Not sure the exact date, ( I'm one of the lazy beekeepers) Well three days later it went down to 20 degrees.
I ended up with about the bottom third maybe less of the brood beimg chilled.
A week later I had 2 capped queen cells. Both are now empty, and no eggs yet, but heres my question.
On a middle frame I have 2 larvea in 2 cells looks about 6 or 7 days post egg.
Not queen cells, just regular worker cells.
Where did the larvea come from? If it was a laying worker, wouldn't there be more eggs?
???
Takes longer than that for a laying worker to get feeling royal. When you say the cells are empty, were the tips chewed out or the sides? If you think this split is doomed, you can always recombine it with the original colony, you will have gotten it by swarm time hopefully. Or boost the split with a frame of eggs and see what they build with it.
If they are not capped, you cannot tell if they are worker or drone. A lot of experts think that most hives have a laying worker or 2 most of the time. The bees just clean up the their eggs as they find them.
You may also have a queen that was further along than you knew about.
Jim
All is well so far. Found her today, just starting to lay!
Not the biggest abdomen but a queen none the less.
Quote from: Psparr on May 08, 2014, 06:39:58 PM
All is well so far. Found her today, just starting to lay!
Not the biggest abdomen but a queen none the less.
As her ovaries develop her abdomen will get larger.
Jim
Quote from: sawdstmakr on May 09, 2014, 06:51:49 AM
Quote from: Psparr on May 08, 2014, 06:39:58 PM
All is well so far. Found her today, just starting to lay!
Not the biggest abdomen but a queen none the less.
As her ovaries develop her abdomen will get larger.
Jim
If this is a walk away split
According to the first post the split would have been done about the first week in April. It sound a little early to be doing this in Pennsylvania.IMHO not a lot of drones flying around
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
Quote from: Jim 134 on May 09, 2014, 07:55:41 AM
Quote from: sawdstmakr on May 09, 2014, 06:51:49 AM
Quote from: Psparr on May 08, 2014, 06:39:58 PM
All is well so far. Found her today, just starting to lay!
Not the biggest abdomen but a queen none the less.
As her ovaries develop her abdomen will get larger.
Jim
If this is a walk away split
Yes it is.
Wondering now if I should boost it with a frame of capped brood. Numbers don't seem too low, but maybe needs some young nurse bees.
Might help slow a swarm in my main hive
According to the first post the split would have been done about the first week in April. It sound a little early to be doing this in Pennsylvania.IMHO not a lot of drones flying around
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)