How long can I keep new queen in cage?

[timjea]

Here's the scoop, I inspected an Italian colony 2 days ago and found 2 capped queen cells on the same side of the frame.  Not wanting to lose an opportunity, I carefully cut one out and placed it in a homemade large queen cage with 5 nurse bees.  figured to pull a frame or 2 from another strong colony and have a fall split.  Not planned but no sense in passing up the chance.

Well, she hatched last night - sooner than I thought.  Been trickling some 1:1 with HBH for them to eat today.  Tonight I pulled 2 frame of bees and brood from a really strong russian hive.  I searched high and low but didn't saee the queen.  Trouble is, she might be on one of those 2 frames and I just am missing her.  Russians are dark, I find it real hard to spot a russian queen anyway.  I put the 2 frames in a nuc, and closed them up and put a boardman feeder on them.  I figured let them forage until the weekend (2 days), then check the nuc midday for fresh eggs and or look for the queen before introducing this new queen.  Checking mid-day means fewer bees in the hive, might be easier to spot her if she is there, or easier to see in the cells.

So - the original question - how long can I keep this unmated queen and 5 attendants in the cage without harm?  If I can put the cage in the nuc some time this weekend, then they will have been in the cage less than a week.  I'm thinking thats ok.  Tell me if I am wrong.

[RayMarler]

I've never had queens emerge into a cage myself, but I'm thinking less than a week should be OK. I'm thinking  a week or longer would not bee so good.

[Joelel]

Here's the scoop, I inspected an Italian colony 2 days ago and found 2 capped queen cells on the same side of the frame.  Not wanting to lose an opportunity, I carefully cut one out and placed it in a homemade large queen cage with 5 nurse bees.  figured to pull a frame or 2 from another strong colony and have a fall split.  Not planned but no sense in passing up the chance.

Well, she hatched last night - sooner than I thought.  Been trickling some 1:1 with HBH for them to eat today.  Tonight I pulled 2 frame of bees and brood from a really strong russian hive.  I searched high and low but didn't saee the queen.  Trouble is, she might be on one of those 2 frames and I just am missing her.  Russians are dark, I find it real hard to spot a russian queen anyway.  I put the 2 frames in a nuc, and closed them up and put a boardman feeder on them.  I figured let them forage until the weekend (2 days), then check the nuc midday for fresh eggs and or look for the queen before introducing this new queen.  Checking mid-day means fewer bees in the hive, might be easier to spot her if she is there, or easier to see in the cells.

So - the original question - how long can I keep this unmated queen and 5 attendants in the cage without harm?  If I can put the cage in the nuc some time this weekend, then they will have been in the cage less than a week.  I'm thinking thats ok.  Tell me if I am wrong.

I wouldn't keep them in a cage over two days.Be sure to spray them with sugar water 4 or 5 times a day.

[Robo]

Less than a week should be fine.   I've shipped virgins priority mail (even have had some get stuck in the mail over the weekend) and had them introduced and mated successfully.

[Michael Bush]

If they don't get mated somewhere before 24 days they could end up drone layers.

[shemer]

By now both  my queens spent a little over than three days in confinement. So far so good. Going to re-queen two of my hives tomorrow.

[mherndon]

If you wait over 48 hours, you may have a queen right hive.  I waited too long last year and the bees had already started emergency cells.  I didn't know any better and introduced the queen.  She didn't make it through the night.  I pulled the frames to make a split about 48 hours before I got my queen.  Lesson learned.

Mark