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Author Topic: split with queen cells  (Read 1159 times)

Offline jclark96

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split with queen cells
« on: April 01, 2014, 07:48:24 pm »
I have entered new territory. A friend of mine needed bees, but could not afford them. My cousin had a hive that was about to swarm, and needed to split them. My friends hive is 8 frame mediums, and my cousin's 10 frame deeps.

So, we took two queen cells, gently pushed them into the foundation and top bar, and shook 4 frames worth of bees into the box and closed up with a moving screen.

Then we split the rest into 2 ten frame boxes with equal brood, stores, and queen cells in each.

I am not too worried about my cousin's bees, plenty of stores, brood, etc.  My plan for the Shook Swarm is to feed them to get them drawing the foundation out, keep them warm, out of the sun, etc. Basically like a package, except they get a head start drawing out the combs. How long should I keep them locked up, if at all? The larvae in the queen cells was still white, so I will look up how long it will be before she emerges. Then I would expect to see eggs about a week after she hatches.

Offline jclark96

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Re: split with queen cells
« Reply #1 on: April 01, 2014, 07:59:06 pm »
MBush's website indicates that the queen should emerge in about a week. And be laying about a week later. Plus three weeks for the first brood to hatch out. I hope these bees can hold on that long.

Offline Vance G

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Re: split with queen cells
« Reply #2 on: April 01, 2014, 08:06:12 pm »
Your math is a little schetchy and how are those bees going to raise a queen without pollen from outside?  I would sure release them.  The queen will emerge 16 days after the egg is laid.  Then she will need to be fed and grow up and harden wings for about a week.  Then weather permitting she will need to go out and find some boyfriends and then about a week later she will start laying a few eggs.  Your shook swarm will be off to a slow start I am afraid.  Keep the entrance down to about 2 bees wide until a month and a half from now you might have some new bees emerging.  You might consider stacking two medium boxes and putting a couple deep frames of brood and bees in it and surround those frames both boxes with medium frames.  I think you will have a better shot. 

Offline jclark96

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Re: split with queen cells
« Reply #3 on: April 01, 2014, 08:24:51 pm »
Sorry for the confusion, Capped Queen cells. So, already passed the point of needing to be fed, just waiting for them to emerge.

Offline jclark96

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Re: split with queen cells
« Reply #4 on: April 10, 2014, 10:25:12 pm »
Re-reading my post from earlier, I see the confusion. We accidently killed one of the other queen cells. That queen larvae/pupae was formed like a queen, but still white with purple eyes. Thus my prediction of hatching out in about a week.

Checking up on them today, they are drawing out the combs nicely, storing nector, but no brood yet. We will check back in a week.