New Queen & Queen Cells

[tedlemay]

Have been replacing a queen in a queenless hive. I cut out all the queen cells and added the new queen. Checked in 4 days and she was still in her cage, the girls had built 4 more queen cells and capped them (in 4 days). Removed cells and going to wait 2 more days.

#1 Is it common for the workers to continue to build queen cells after you put in a new queen? If I release her will they kill her?

#2 Is it common for them to cap a queen cell in 4 days? (there could not have been eggs there, but very young larve)
Thanks for the advise!
Teddy

[Michael Bush]

>Have been replacing a queen in a queenless hive. I cut out all the queen cells and added the new queen.

Why didn't you just let them finish the queens they were making?

>Checked in 4 days and she was still in her cage, the girls had built 4 more queen cells and capped them (in 4 days). Removed cells and going to wait 2 more days.

?

>#1 Is it common for the workers to continue to build queen cells after you put in a new queen?

Not if she is making enough pheromones.

>If I release her will they kill her?

Are they biting the cage?

>#2 Is it common for them to cap a queen cell in 4 days? (there could not have been eggs there, but very young larve)

They can start with a hatched larvae and yes, they would cap it four days later.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesmath.htm

[tedlemay]

no, they are not bitting the cage. they keep it covered but are not agressive toward her. we cut all the cells out again and are going to wait another 2 days. How long can she stay in the cage without harming her?

[Kathyp]

you might consider for next time that you  have 100% odds of them accepting a queen that they have raised, and very good odds that they will have chosen and nurtured a good one.  you'll also save yourself money and  work. 

[FRAMEshift]

Unless you don't want the genetics of the queen cells, there is no reason to remove them. You are doing a lot of work for nothing.  If the bees don't like the caged queen, let them raise their own.

[Michael Bush]

>How long can she stay in the cage without harming her?

I've banked queens for months to see and I can't see any harm.  But the hive needs a laying queen.

[tedlemay]

Thats the point, I am trying to change the genetics of this hive.