Nuc making Queen. Current queen has good brood pattern.

nietssemaj · April 18, 2012, 02:16:58 PM

I've got a hived nuc that has been in the hive now for 9 days. They are drawing nice comb.. queen looks great, good brood pattern. Lots of pollen/nectar coming in. Only thing is they seem to be short on drawn combbut they are definitely working on it.

Nice brood pattern on both sides of comb.

But, in the last 4 days they've made this....

I don't really have enough bee's in this hive to do a split or to allow it to swarm. What are the chances that if I yank this cell that they'll build another? There are no other active queen cells in this hive.

nietssemaj · April 19, 2012, 11:11:21 PM

Well I pulled the cell.

Looks like I had more than the few days I thought I had.

teezbees · April 19, 2012, 11:27:26 PM

Sounds like she's got nowhere to lay. Maybe once they get the comb drawn they'll stop drawing queen cells. If you have any empty drawn comb to give them that the queen can lay in, it may help. If not, I'd keep cutting queen cells like you're doing.

FRAMEshift · April 20, 2012, 07:58:06 AM

Are you sure you still have a queen in the hive? The swarm usually leaves about the time the queen cell is capped. And removing a queen cell does not stop a swarm if the bees have decided to go. That's why I never remove queen cells. But the best way to prevent premature swarms is to keep the brood nest open.

Or maybe what you had was a supersedure cell. Sometimes the bees see something we don't and think they need a new queen.

nietssemaj · April 20, 2012, 08:29:05 AM

Queen is marked. She's healthy. No missing legs, torn wings. There is capped brood, open brood and there are fresh eggs. There are no other queen cells in production. In fact there aren't even any acorn cells.

This is a new section of comb they've built and she's already got eggs in it.

I probably wouldn't have pulled the cell if it wasn't for the recommendation of the inspector who happened to come by for my initial inspection.

We'll see what happens. Worse comes to worse they build up another cell. Maybe by that time they'll have enough bee's to make a split possible.

FRAMEshift · April 20, 2012, 10:17:29 AM

I don't have any direct experience with Florida, but from what I've heard of some of the inspectors, they think the only good swarm is a dead swarm. :? I guess they are very afraid of AHB.

But it looks like you have a good queen and a productive hive so that's great.

nietssemaj · April 20, 2012, 10:27:10 AM

There are certainly those who are extreme. The inspector for this area is not one of them. Though he is a firm believer in re-queening a swarm with known genetics. Which was done in this case. Though not personally by me.

Larry Bees · April 20, 2012, 11:17:45 AM

Quote from: nietssemaj on April 18, 2012, 02:16:58 PM

But, in the last 4 days they've made this....

I don't really have enough bee's in this hive to do a split or to allow it to swarm. What are the chances that if I yank this cell that they'll build another? There are no other active queen cells in this hive.

I just finished going thru my hives this morning and one of my larger hives had a queen cell that just looked like yours. My first thought was that it was a swarm cell and I was thinking of taking it out by making a split. I made this mistake last year.

I went thru the rest of the hive and found no other queen cells so it is probably a supercedure queen cell. My existing queen is also laying very well. So I left it in there and will be keeping an eye on it.

The way I understand it is, if the hive was going to swarm, then there would be several swarm cells and not just one.

Larry

Jim134 · April 20, 2012, 08:27:26 PM

Quote from: nietssemaj on April 18, 2012, 02:16:58 PM
I've got a hived nuc that has been in the hive now for 9 days. They are drawing nice comb.. queen looks great, good brood pattern. Lots of pollen/nectar coming in. Only thing is they seem to be short on drawn combbut they are definitely working on it.

Nice brood pattern on both sides of comb.

But, in the last 4 days they've made this....

I don't really have enough bee's in this hive to do a split or to allow it to swarm. What are the chances that if I yank this cell that they'll build another? There are no other active queen cells in this hive.

Queen running out of room ???

BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

nietssemaj · April 20, 2012, 08:29:34 PM

Quote from: Jim 134 on April 20, 2012, 08:27:26 PM
Queen running out of room ???

If that is the case.. which I guess it could be. Then time is the only solution, I don't have any drawn comb to give them and they are drawing it as fast as they can.

Jim134 · April 20, 2012, 08:57:15 PM

Quote from: nietssemaj on April 20, 2012, 08:29:34 PM
If that is the case.. which I guess it could be. Then time is the only solution, I don't have any drawn comb to give them and they are drawing it as fast as they can.

You need drawn comb for a fast Queen.

BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)