Drone Activity

[redhat]

I noticed about 6 drones flying into the hive in the space of a few minutes. What is this indicating ?

[Brian D. Bray]

Normal development of the hive.  Existance of drones doesn't necessarily mean swarming is inement.  Drones are found in all exstablished hives from early Spring to Late fall and often a few will overwinter in those areas that experience cold weather, which Jamaica is not. 

[redhat]

Ok.

[redhat]

I checked the hive this morning and found three queen cells (not capped) - all on one frame. I talked to 3 persons about the steps I should take regarding this and got the following:

1. Put a super on and destroy the queen cells. Then remove 3 frames from the brood chamber and put in the super and put 3 empty frames with foundation in the brood chamber.

2. Create 2 Nucs with a queen cell each (destroy 1 queen cell). So I would end up with the original colony and 2 nucs with 3 frames each of brood etc.

3. Destroy 1 queen cell and create 1 nuc with the remaining 2 queen cells and 3 frames of brood.

I like #3 best but I'm open to other opinions.

[hardwood]

If they a viable swarm cells your best bet is a "false swarm" wherein you take the queen away with a couple of frames of brood and a good frame of stores for a split. This will make the bees think that they have already swarmed. You can divvy up the remaining cells however you wish.

If you destroy all the cells and leave the queen in there they may swarm anyway leaving them queenless.

Scott

[Brian D. Bray]

Hardwood's got your back on this one.  Follow his suggestion.
A Major rule, that's often violated, in beekeeping is NEVER destroy queen cells.  It is a very good way of going queenless.
Chances are that if you have capped queen cells, the old queen has already swarmed.  Yes they often swarm before the replacement queen hatches.
If you follow hardwood's instructions you'll, at the very least, have the means of recovering 1 or more hives, if the queen cells are destroyed, and the old queen has already swarmed, you are left queenless.

[Michael Bush]

>1. Put a super on and destroy the queen cells. Then remove 3 frames from the brood chamber and put in the super and put 3 empty frames with foundation in the brood chamber.

I would never destroy queen cells (advice you've already received).  I would make sure there are larvae in those cells before I would call them "queen cells".  If there are, then they are planning to swarm.  I would split it and put a frame with queen cells in each split including the original.

>2. Create 2 Nucs with a queen cell each (destroy 1 queen cell). So I would end up with the original colony and 2 nucs with 3 frames each of brood etc.

Again, I would destroy NO queen cells.  There is nothing wrong with extra ones in the nuc.  I also would leave one in the original colony.

>3. Destroy 1 queen cell and create 1 nuc with the remaining 2 queen cells and 3 frames of brood.

Again, I would never destroy any queen cells.  Leave some in each split.  Make as many splits as you like.  I like to get a queen from every frame that had queen cells on it, so I'd split it several ways, but you can also just split it in two if you don't want that many hives.

[VolunteerK9]

Ditto the "NEVER DESTROY QUEEN CELLS". Is a surefire way to have a queenless hive. (Dont ask me how I know  :evil:)

[redhat]

Thanks for the advice guys.

[redhat]

I did the split, all the queen cells are capped. Just keeping my fingers crossed, hoping everything works out.

[wd]

It'll be fine

By accident, I've pulled out a frame and ripped open queen cells, cleaned them off with a few left in tact. It worked out!

[sterling]

I did the split, all the queen cells are capped. Just keeping my fingers crossed, hoping everything works out.

Keep us posted.