Hive and swarming

[HomeSteadDreamer]

I got a package of bees March 18th.  It grew and grew.  They put out about 25 medium langs from nothing, I run foundationless.  Then Monday they capped a queen cell.  So I moved the queen and a couple frames to a Nuc hoping to imitate a swarm.  The Nuc has made some comb and she has laid some eggs.

However the original 'big' hive is still making queen cells.  So I don't want to let all of them hatch (which would be staggered) right.  My first really nice looking queen cell should be emerging Tuesday.  Should I just cut out all the other queen cells to prevent after swarms?

[Michael Bush]

I would make a nuc with each frame that has some queen cells... and a frame of honey with it.  The problem with cutting queen cells, is that if you have a capped queen cell they most likely already swarmed and you will leave them queenless.

[HomeSteadDreamer]

I pulled the original queen out and Nuc'd her.  But I have several queen cells that are being capped at different times in the original big strong hive.  My question or worry is if I let them all emerge they'll one slow down the egg laying or after swarm.  I happen to know the exact day the first swarm cell was capped  Monday May, 27th or really late on the 26th (after an inspection). She should emerge Monday or Tuesday.  But the others some of them are about to be capped which means they will emerge later then they'll swarm or fight right?  I'd like to stop the swarm or fight thing from happening.  Can I do that by removing the other cells?  Or is it better to let it go.  I love this hive and would like to hold off a swarm which is why I split the Nuc off to begin with.

[mikecva]

With 25 medium langs out of 40 and the hive very active, I would add my first super to encourage the workers to stay (not swarm) since they will now have more room.

As for the queen cells, the workers will be waiting for their new queen but it does not mean the first queen will be excepted. If she is (~90% chance she will be) she will go to her sisters (other queen cells) and kill them. I hope you have drowns so the new queen can be mated. On very rare occasions, there might be two queens in the same hive before mating but this is OK as it will ensure only the strongest queen will survive after mating. -Mike