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Author Topic: Problem requeening  (Read 3827 times)

Offline wvbeeguy

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Problem requeening
« on: May 17, 2017, 10:25:48 pm »
This is my first time requeening. I split a hive and it was queenless for 24 hours and I got my queen in the mail (beeweaver) I have been at this for a week. The bees seamed to have calmed down some but they are still building queen cups with the brood. I cut them out and wait 2-3 days check again and more queen cups. It has been relentless. The queen only has 1 attendant left. I have no clue what the bee breed is cause it was a swarm. It will be 7 days tomorrow since I put the cage in I still have the corks in place. What am I doing wrong. Also I have been watching videos and reading a lot of knowledge. Everything I read or watched says to cut the queen cups out and pop the cork off when the bees accept her (not biting the cage) but they don't seem to stop biting the cage nor stop building the cups....Any expert advice would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you!

Offline cao

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Re: Problem requeening
« Reply #1 on: May 17, 2017, 11:34:56 pm »
Welcome.  :smile:

IMO I would not have waited 24 hrs to introduce the queen.  By then they have started queen cells.  Once they start queen cells they are no longer 'queenless'. 

It will be 7 days tomorrow since I put the cage in I still have the corks in place.

If you make a split (without the queen) there should be no more viable eggs/larve in a week.  If it has been 7 days and you removed ALL the queen cells, they should accept her. 

I would check them tomorrow and make sure there are NO queen cells.  They can be just about anywhere so take your time and examine every frame. 

Offline wvbeeguy

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Re: Problem requeening
« Reply #2 on: May 18, 2017, 12:00:38 am »
We learn from our mistakes but at the time I was anxious to do the split since it was the only day without rain and I knew the queen would be only a few days away what could it hurt? Obviously a lot! I learned my lesson but remember this is my first time.  Anyway so just check tomorrow and cut out all queen cups again and wait 2 more days or just pop the candy cork? But yeah tomorrow will be 7 days in and 8 days since I did the split. I have to give it to beeweaver they wasted no time to get the queen to me. They literally shipped it on Wed. and I got it the next day I was expecting her Sat. I have 2 more hives I am going to requeen and I will wait until I have the queen in hand before I do the process of finding and executing old queen and replacing. Hopefully it will go smoother!! Thank you for your reply.

Offline cao

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Re: Problem requeening
« Reply #3 on: May 18, 2017, 12:56:39 am »
I would just take the cork out leave the candy in and let them get her out.  Unless they are overly aggressive trying to sting her.  If you can see their tongues out then everything is fine.

Yes it is better to have the queen in hand first.  It only takes a few minutes for a hive to realize that their queen is gone.

Offline wvbeeguy

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Re: Problem requeening
« Reply #4 on: May 28, 2017, 12:00:52 am »
Thank you for the advice!! I have another "maybe" problem now. It has been 9 days since I popped the cork open and she had adapted well. I saw her today and LOTS of eggs but the issue is queen cups with larva. Is this normal? There was 3 queen cups 1 with an egg and 2 with larva I destroyed 2 IDK which. Let me back up some. I went through the hive until I found my queen that was caged she has a clipped wing. I found her on the very last frame go figure right? I found 3 queen cups not cells they were not formed yet. 1 had eggs and other 2 had larva. The bees seamed to "like" the new queen. They would move out of her way as she walked and no aggression at all. I destroyed 2 of the 3 queen cups and plan on finding the last one in the next inspection in a week. I didn't want to be in the hive for any longer than need be. Also....There is ALOT of eggs where she has been laying, and she is big and fat. Should I hunt that last queen cup? Did I do wrong in destroying the ones I did? Where do I go from here? Thanks in advance!

Offline Acebird

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Re: Problem requeening
« Reply #5 on: May 28, 2017, 08:55:33 am »
I came late to this discussion but how can a queen live in a cage for a week if the colony didn't except her?  She would starve no?  Queen cups got started because there is no brood not because there is no queen.  Caging a mated queen for 9 days or more is something I would avoid.
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Offline cao

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Re: Problem requeening
« Reply #6 on: May 28, 2017, 12:05:24 pm »
The bees will build and tear down queen cups.  I try not to destroy any queen cell or cup.  They all have their purpose.  They may have been trying to supercede her.  Usually if you destroy them and they want they they will just build more.  If you see a queen cup, make a note of which frame it is on and check back a week later.  It will either be capped or gone. 

Offline wvbeeguy

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Re: Problem requeening
« Reply #7 on: May 29, 2017, 11:53:37 pm »
The bees will build and tear down queen cups.  I try not to destroy any queen cell or cup.  They all have their purpose.  They may have been trying to supercede her.  Usually if you destroy them and they want they they will just build more.  If you see a queen cup, make a note of which frame it is on and check back a week later.  It will either be capped or gone.

Thank you. Another mistake I will avoid nest year. The learning is always an ongoing process and thanks to people like you I won't make the same mistake twice. Now my next question is "what is they keep building queen cups to supercede her?" Should I cage her up and put her in another hive I have 2 that are currently queenless....? I am honestly lost at what to do at this point. One hive is a swarm capure that has no queen (no eggs or larva for over a week and a half now they have queen cells from a colony I gave them a frame of eggs) I don't want to lose this queen mostly cause she cost me money....but also just cause....*insert another reason here*

Offline little john

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Re: Problem requeening
« Reply #8 on: May 30, 2017, 09:35:40 am »

Brian - I had to read that post twice in order to 'get it'.

It reads (with emphasis added) "I went through the hive until I found my queen that was caged she has a clipped wing."   If fact, the caged bit is redundant, and thus a tad confusing - "I found my queen which has a clipped wing" - is the core message.


wvbeeguy: It sounds to me that they want to supercede this particular queen.  It may be because she has a clipped wing, or perhaps for some other reason. Next time you come across a cell-cup with larva in - leave it be, catch the queen, cage her, and try her in one of your other Q-ve hives.  If it happens again, then - yes - move her on one more time to yet another nuc. So even if her fate IS 'doomed', you'll still be able to re-queen all your colonies from her before she finally retires.

If you've tried introducing her to (say) 3 nucs in a row, and they ALL want to supercede her, then I'd recommend talking to the supplier and describing what's happened.  It's possible you may get a replacement - it's certainly worth asking. Supercedure is (unfortunately) not uncommon with purchased queens via the mail, although not usually quite so quickly.
LJ
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Offline Acebird

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Re: Problem requeening
« Reply #9 on: May 30, 2017, 05:53:53 pm »
LJ 7 days in a cage here:

It will be 7 days tomorrow since I put the cage in I still have the corks in place.
and 2 days in a cage here:
Quote
Anyway so just check tomorrow and cut out all queen cups again and wait 2 more days or just pop the candy cork?
Brian Cardinal
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Offline capt44

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Re: Problem requeening
« Reply #10 on: May 31, 2017, 04:47:17 pm »
When installing a new queen make sure the hive is queenless. remove the cork on the candy end and hang the cage down between the frames with the candy side up. That way if a tender bee dies in the cage it won't stop up the exit hole. be sure and poke a hole thru the candy plug to get the bees started. They should have the queen released in a couple of days. BUT THE CORK HAS TO BE REMOVED!
Richard Vardaman (capt44)

Offline Groundhawg

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Re: Problem requeening
« Reply #11 on: June 06, 2017, 12:00:18 am »
If the queen cage is "hung" with the candy up during the summer here in S.E. Alabama there is a good chance that the candy will melt, run down and killed the queen.  We always place our cages parallel between the frames with the wire side down.
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