Swarm cells mid July: Alpha queen; dearth; lot of honey; angry bees.

[van from Arkansas]

I grafted larva from my 4.5 year old breeder queen named Alpha this morning.  I find swarm cells and realized Alpha was most likely to swarm, maybe even this day, maybe even next hour.  The hive was packed: 20 frames of bees in a Langstroth double deep.  I found Alpha, caged her and placed the queen in an emergency created nuc with 5 frames of her brood, food, bees, then released Alpha.  I reduced the entrance and open the vented on the nuc.  To hot and humid to do any more.  This nuc is a prime target for robbing as I could not move the parent hive...

If this nuc  can hold off robbers till evening, I can upgrade to 10 frame and move the parent hive.  Then all will be well.  But for now, to hot and humid to do work outside.  The bees are testy, very nervous as the hives are full of honey.  One bee got into my veil and was buzzing my ear!!!  Nothing makes me jump faster than a bug in my ear.  I immediately kill the bee.

Now, I have to check on the nuc and watch for robbing all day.  Any other hive would cause no worries, but my alpha queen is my main breeder queen.  Her original hive was out of laying room and I was aware of the lack of empty cells for the queen to lay in,  but I figured a dearth would deter swarming.  I figured wrong.  I added two empty waxed out frames last week for alpha to lay in.  Those frames were quickly filled.  This queen is a laying machine.  My favorite queen for over 4 years.  Any suggestions, I am all ears!!!

Best to your bees.

[Ben Framed]

Mr Van, I may be wrong but since you packed the Nuc with 5 frames of brood, using a small opening, I hope that will be just fine. I would suggest venting the top slightly, but sounds like your nuc has built in vents so that should be ok too. I am hopeful things will work out fine. Perhaps Iddee or Hp or others with that type experience will be more helpful.  Mainly wanting to say,  I am rooting for you!

[van from Arkansas]

Thanks Phil, yes this nuc has two vents, one on each end.  The circle flat metal disc with options for: full open, excluded, vent, or closed.

The original hive needs to be moved to prevent passive robbing of the newly created nuc, but is way beyond my lift ability.  Got an idea, I will use my tractor to move the main hive as I have such weight restrictions due to my osteoarthritis.  I just bought the tractor last month.

[Oldbeavo]

Mr Van
Can you shift the nuc 2 or 3 mile away for a week or so. Then bring it back.
You could put them in your 10 frame while away and bring them back as a settled hive.

[van from Arkansas]

Cheers Mr. Beavo, I always look forward to beeks posting from the other side of the planet!

I have only the apiary in my back yard.   I did move the original hive so I can avoid passive robbing.  Alpha has been in the same hive, same spot for over four years, so I am a bit concerned for my lil 6 legged friend.  Do queens stress, I don?t know?  I will move alpha to a ten frame Langstroth deep tomorrow morning when cool.  As you know, I adore my lil queen, she has given me many Cordovan queen daughters.

Best of all things Mr. Beavo.

Van

[Bob Wilson]

Van.
Speaking of swarm cells in July, I found 2 queen cells in one of hives five days ago. They have been bearding, but have had plenty of room inside. This past spring, I was seeing  10-15 QC in a hive. These two are small, and are placed half way up the frame towards the side.
Could your and my QCs be supercedure and not swarming?
Could your alpha be failing after 4 years and the colony is preparing to replace her?

[Nock]

Bob.
Yours sounds like supercedure cells to me.

[van from Arkansas]

Good Morning Mr. Bob.

The queen cells, every single cell, were located on the very bottom of the frame thus I call swarm cells.  Yes supersedure is possible, however Alpha was out of room for places to lay.  I had provided 2waxed out empty frames last week and placed in the middle of the brood nest.  The frames were filled yesterday while also having 20 of 20 frames of bees.

So alpha is laying well, she had no place to lay and a packed with bees so swarm cells were made.  Kinda caught me off guard, usually during a dearth queens are reluctant to swarm.  For the previous 3 years, Alpha did not attempt to swarm.

The tendency not to swarm is a requirement for my breeder quality queens.  I was very surprised to find swarm cells in Alpha hive.

[Ben Framed]

 Error sorry

[Ben Framed]

Error sorry

[van from Arkansas]

Alpha queen is gone, by supersedure.

Wait a minute, hold on, I just figured out Alpha has been superseded.  Note my texted above:

1.  Swarm cells, alpha has never attempted to swarm!  Not the past 4 years.
2.  Angry bees: Alpha has always had very calm bees!
3.  Alpha produced Cordovan queens, so it makes sense that her replacement is Cordovan queen!

I was puzzled by the swarm cells and testy bees, now I understand why.

I gonna miss that lil queen.  She was four years old last spring.  That is getting old for a queen bee.  She left me with one last Cordovan queen, but unfortunately, not a breeder quality queen as I breed against swarming and breed for gentle bees.

Now I have to find another breeder, this takes over a year as over wintering has to be determined, along with gentleness, honey production, hygenic traits, brood patterns.

I?m gonna miss that lil queen.

[The15thMember]

Alpha queen is gone, by supersedure.

Wait a minute, hold on, I just figured out Alpha has been superseded.  Note my texted above:

1.  Swarm cells, alpha has never attempted to swarm!  Not the past 4 years.
2.  Angry bees: Alpha has always had very calm bees!
3.  Alpha produced Cordovan queens, so it makes sense that her replacement is Cordovan queen!

I was puzzled by the swarm cells and testy bees, now I understand why.

I gonna miss that lil queen.  She was four years old last spring.  That is getting old for a queen bee.  She left me with one last Cordovan queen, but unfortunately, not a breeder quality queen as I breed against swarming and breed for gentle bees.

Now I have to find another breeder, this takes over a year as over wintering has to be determined, along with gentleness, honey production, hygenic traits, brood patterns.

I?m gonna miss that lil queen.

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that, Van.  At least she had a good long run. . . .   

[van from Arkansas]

👍

[Bob Wilson]

Van, sorry for the loss. I know she was important to your work.
I suppose this late in the year, we need to make sure the new, superseding queen gets back from her mating flight, and we don't end up with queenless hives. Right?
Also, can i assume my new queen will tend to be a weak queen, considering fewer drones in the summer and a smaller sized QC?

[van from Arkansas]

Thanks Mr. Bob.  Optimistic opinion here.  Last August, late August I might add; I reared an Italian queen from Alpha  that is doing fantastic.  Thelma is here name, as per Mr. BenFramed, my Buddy Phil.  She is a very impressive queen reared late season.

I had never reared such a late season queen, naturally mated and decided to give late season queen rearing a try last year.  I was thinking an inferior queen just as you texted above.  Well let me tell ya, Thelma is thriving and overwintered very well, gentle bees, great laying pattern and a good honey producer.  I am currently in the process of determining hygenic, mite resistance.

So, in summation, late season queens can be just as good as Spring reared.  Give the queen a chance and time will tell.  Hope you have a jewel such as Thelma.

Blessings

[Ben Framed]

Mr Van I have hope that Thelma will preform for you in every way, keeping the good work you are doing moving forward along with Alphas genetics. Wishing you the Very best in every way my friend.

[van from Arkansas]

👍