Adding a Q-cell

billdean · May 25, 2019, 01:35:04 PM

I never gave much thought on adding a Cell to a nuc. Usually I just install the frame with the Cells in a nuc and it works out good. Everything you read say pop in a ripe cell and wait. I am wondering if the key word here is ripe? I have recently acquired 5, 11 day old cells. So without thinking too much about it I made up a 3 frame medium queen castle in the morning. That afternoon, or 6 hours later, I put the Q-cells on each of the brood frames. Done or so I thought. After going to bed that night I kept thinking, I should of kept them in the incubator until day 15. I should of left the q-castle queen less longer. I should of used individual 4 frame nucs. I should go back in and take the cells out and put them back in the incubator. I should go back in the Q-castle and put them in individual box. Its driving me nuts. I should of, I should of, I should of! I am not sure what I should have done or what I should do now, if anything, but I haven't done anything yet. I still have 2 cells left basking in 91 degree temperatures and I am still thinking.

Nock · May 25, 2019, 02:17:48 PM

I?ll be following this one.

BeeMaster2 · May 25, 2019, 02:22:35 PM

The queen cell will bee just fine in Nuc. You left them long enough to let them know they are queen less and as long the cells ar in the middle of the brood area the bees will keep them warm and protected.
Jim Altmiller

Post #10,000.

billdean · May 25, 2019, 02:46:23 PM

Quote from: sawdstmakr on May 25, 2019, 02:22:35 PM
The queen cell will bee just fine in Nuc. You left them long enough to let them know they are queen less and as long the cells ar in the middle of the brood area the bees will keep them warm and protected.
Jim Altmiller

Post #10,000.

Hey Jim???.I am the winner!! What is my prize for being #10,000!

I guess some of my concern was they may tear them down being left in there so long and being of strange pheromones. Then also of the pheromones drifting to the other colonies being so close in a 3 frame medium queen castle. I always seem to think of 100 things I should have did differently.

iddee · May 25, 2019, 03:21:10 PM

DITTO what Jim said. I install 9 day old cells often when I harvest the queens from mating boxes and don't want to leave the box queenless for 4 or 5 days.

Michael Bush · May 28, 2019, 11:47:55 AM

I just set up the nuc and put in the cell at the same time. 10 days from grafting.

van from Arkansas · May 28, 2019, 11:54:53 AM

Mr. Bill, I figure in two hours or less, the bees know they are queenless and should take good care of your queen cells.