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Author Topic: New Queen & Queen Cells  (Read 3233 times)

Offline tedlemay

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New Queen & Queen Cells
« 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

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: New Queen & Queen Cells
« Reply #1 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.

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Offline tedlemay

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Re: New Queen & Queen Cells
« Reply #2 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?

Offline Kathyp

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Re: New Queen & Queen Cells
« Reply #3 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. 

Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline FRAMEshift

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Re: New Queen & Queen Cells
« Reply #4 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.
"You never can tell with bees."  --  Winnie-the-Pooh

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: New Queen & Queen Cells
« Reply #5 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.
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Offline tedlemay

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Re: New Queen & Queen Cells
« Reply #6 on: April 25, 2012, 12:08:25 am »
Thats the point, I am trying to change the genetics of this hive.