Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => REQUEENING & RAISING NEW QUEENS => Topic started by: tedlemay on April 23, 2012, 08:33:38 pm

Title: New Queen & Queen Cells
Post by: tedlemay on April 23, 2012, 08:33:38 pm
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
Title: Re: New Queen & Queen Cells
Post by: Michael Bush on April 24, 2012, 12:38:51 am
>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 (http://www.bushfarms.com/beesmath.htm)
Title: Re: New Queen & Queen Cells
Post by: tedlemay on April 24, 2012, 11:10:17 am
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?
Title: Re: New Queen & Queen Cells
Post by: Kathyp on April 24, 2012, 11:58:14 am
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. 

Title: Re: New Queen & Queen Cells
Post by: FRAMEshift on April 24, 2012, 07:44:12 pm
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.
Title: Re: New Queen & Queen Cells
Post by: Michael Bush on April 24, 2012, 11:49:19 pm
>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.
Title: Re: New Queen & Queen Cells
Post by: tedlemay on April 25, 2012, 12:08:25 am
Thats the point, I am trying to change the genetics of this hive.