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Author Topic: Queen Cells  (Read 3509 times)

Offline Ben Framed

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Queen Cells
« on: April 12, 2019, 08:35:05 am »
When a queen cell is introduced and allowed to hatch, do the bees take down the cell afterward?
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Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Queen Cells
« Reply #1 on: April 12, 2019, 11:00:13 am »
Eventually. Depends on where it is located and the bees. If they have a lot of brood to cap, it will probably be removed/repurposed quicker. I removed/cut out a large hive on Wednesday that had a new queen. I found old brood, most of it hatching, and only one frame of, at most, 4 day old, from being laid, larvae and one frame of eggs. There were lots of queen cups but I did not find a single queen cell.
Jim Altmiller
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Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Queen Cells
« Reply #2 on: April 12, 2019, 11:17:00 am »
Quote from: sawdstmakr on April 12, 2019, 11:00:13 am
Eventually. Depends on where it is located and the bees. If they have a lot of brood to cap, it will probably be removed/repurposed quicker. I removed/cut out a large hive on Wednesday that had a new queen. I found old brood, most of it hatching, and only one frame of, at most, 4 day old, from being laid, larvae and one frame of eggs. There were lots of queen cups but I did not find a single queen cell.
Jim Altmiller

Thanks Jim, the reason I ask, I placed a frame with a swarm cell in a Mating nuke box. Actually it had three queen cells. The cells were capped. This was a week to ten days ago. I checked the box yesterday and there was not a queen cell left. Just as if there had never been one. Apparently the new defeating virgin was out on a mating flight because she wasn't to be found either . Is this common?
Thanks, Phillip
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2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline TheHoneyPump

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Re: Queen Cells
« Reply #3 on: April 12, 2019, 12:35:29 pm »
Yes;  to both questions.

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When the lid goes back on, the bees will spend the next 3 days undoing most of what the beekeeper just did to them.

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Queen Cells
« Reply #4 on: April 12, 2019, 01:14:18 pm »
What THP said.
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Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
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Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Queen Cells
« Reply #5 on: April 12, 2019, 02:01:49 pm »
Thanks fellows!!  Jim I just viewed your cutout. That was awesome! Mr Claude, I bet things are starting to kick in your area?
Phillip 
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2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline Oldbeavo

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Re: Queen Cells
« Reply #6 on: April 12, 2019, 04:40:08 pm »
Ben
Were the bees polishing like they were expecting a queen to lay?
Not finding a virgin queen, to me doesn't mean she wasn't there, just means they are very hard to spot especially if there is a good number of bees.
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Offline Beeboy01

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Re: Queen Cells
« Reply #7 on: April 12, 2019, 08:22:00 pm »
I've always had problems spotting a virgin queen, first I see a queen cell which hatches then nothing for about two weeks till the new queen gets mated and starts laying. By then the old cell has been taken down and I start to wonder if I'm hallucinating queen cells. ;) One of the hardest parts of bee keeping is to learn patience and not to panic.
  Currently I'm dealing with three nucs that had queen cells which hatched and now nothing appears to be happening.
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Offline CoolBees

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Re: Queen Cells
« Reply #8 on: April 13, 2019, 01:20:03 am »
Quote from: Beeboy01 on April 12, 2019, 08:22:00 pm
... One of the hardest parts of bee keeping is to learn patience and not to panic.
  Currently I'm dealing with three nucs that had queen cells which hatched and now nothing appears to be happening.

X2 ... me too. I hope all goes well for both of us.
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Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Queen Cells
« Reply #9 on: April 13, 2019, 07:07:34 am »
Quote from: Oldbeavo on April 12, 2019, 04:40:08 pm
Ben
Were the bees polishing like they were expecting a queen to lay?
Not finding a virgin queen, to me doesn't mean she wasn't there, just means they are very hard to spot especially if there is a good number of bees.

Oldbevo, To tell the truth I really don't know. I didn't know to look for polishing. This is a new area for me. I will look again. Thanks for the question.
Phillip

PS . To my friends who have encouraged me this year, notice I didn't say "I am new to beekeeping so I didn't know to look for polishing" 😁 Thanks for each of your help and encouragement.
« Last Edit: April 13, 2019, 07:30:12 am by Ben Framed »
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2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Queen Cells
« Reply #10 on: April 13, 2019, 07:17:22 am »
Beeboy01 "By then the old cell has been taken down and I start to wonder if I'm hallucinating queen cells. ;) "

Haa haa, I know what you mean! I was thinking. " I know there were three distinct cells on this frame! Now nothing! No virgin, no sign of a queen, though the bees were quiet, not acting queenless (roaring). I was thinking , " time to head to Beemaster and start asking questions!"
Thanks all. I will update if I have something to update. Keeping fingers crossed. In the meantime I will go back and look 👀  to see if the workers are polishing the cells as suggested by Oldbevo.
Thanks each of you for your replies!
Phillip
« Last Edit: April 13, 2019, 07:32:02 am by Ben Framed »
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2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Queen Cells
« Reply #11 on: April 13, 2019, 07:18:46 am »
Quote from: CoolBees on April 13, 2019, 01:20:03 am
Quote from: Beeboy01 on April 12, 2019, 08:22:00 pm
... One of the hardest parts of bee keeping is to learn patience and not to panic.
  Currently I'm dealing with three nucs that had queen cells which hatched and now nothing appears to be happening.

X2 ... me too. I hope all goes well for both of us.

Me too, all three of us 😊😁
PS I bet the old pros here are smiling about this; Been where we are now... 😊😁
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2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Queen Cells
« Reply #12 on: April 13, 2019, 07:25:04 am »
Oh, let me add one more twist. The day of morning I looked, the wind steady picked up through out the morning, turning into a wind advisory! Gust up to 35 MPH. I was thinking if she went out for a mating flight, she might wind up in Kalamazoo, Michigan!! Haa haa. We will see!!
« Last Edit: April 13, 2019, 09:14:34 am by Ben Framed »
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2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Queen Cells
« Reply #13 on: April 13, 2019, 07:53:41 am »
When you have new queens in a Nuc or hive, the last thing you want to do is opening up the hive and inspecting it. The bees will blame the new queen for the disturbance and kill her. She needs to have at least some wet brood if not capped brood. If you are having to look for polished cells, you should not be in that hive/nuc.
Jim Altmiller
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Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Queen Cells
« Reply #14 on: April 13, 2019, 07:58:30 am »
Quote from: sawdstmakr on April 13, 2019, 07:53:41 am
When you have new queens in a Nuc or hive, the last thing you want to do is opening up the hive and inspecting it. The bees will blame the new queen for the disturbance and kill her. She needs to have at least some wet brood if not capped brood. If you are having to look for polished cells, you should not be in that hive/nuc.
Jim Altmiller

The frame has plenty capped brood. I may have really messed up by looking to see if the Cells had hatchedI?  I will hold off looking for more, for now. 
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2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline TheHoneyPump

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Re: Queen Cells
« Reply #15 on: April 13, 2019, 12:46:01 pm »
Quote from: sawdstmakr on April 13, 2019, 07:53:41 am
When you have new queens in a Nuc or hive, the last thing you want to do is opening up the hive and inspecting it. The bees will blame the new queen for the disturbance and kill her. She needs to have at least some wet brood if not capped brood. If you are having to look for polished cells, you should not be in that hive/nuc.
Jim Altmiller


Agreed.  I also can be and anxious lookie-loo!
Perhaps this would help has a guide:
 - I know when the cell is going to hatch by either observing the cell capping date or graft date and marking the calendar in my smartphone or a piece of tape on the hive.
 - In the nucs, I will check on the evening that she should have emerged to get confirmation and to adjust the calendar for that box.
 - Then stay out for minimum 8 days.  I go back on day 12 after emergence.  If no eggs by then look for an explanation why, such as:   queen lost, poor flight weather, laying workers, injury.  If inexplicable, she gets 4 more days grace to show her stuff. Failing the grace period, she is pinched and a new cell put in.

Upon opening too early, I have seen the bees desperately trying to protect a fresh queen from my view by crawling on her back and packing tightly against her pinning her down into the comb. At least that is what I think it was.  It certainly could be they were beginning to ball her due to my disruption.  A week later she was fine and laying up a storm.   Others I have opened early, seen her and a small patch of eggs.  A week later she was gone and QCs started from her eggs.

Resist temptation.  Go ahead and check the day or up to 2 days after she was supposed to emerge.  No harm done then.  After that, stay out for 10 days.  12 is better.

Hope that Helps!
« Last Edit: April 15, 2019, 01:52:47 am by TheHoneyPump »
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When the lid goes back on, the bees will spend the next 3 days undoing most of what the beekeeper just did to them.

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Queen Cells
« Reply #16 on: April 13, 2019, 05:03:01 pm »
Does help, Thanks Mr Claude
Phillip
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2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline CoolBees

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Re: Queen Cells
« Reply #17 on: April 13, 2019, 06:54:59 pm »
Quote from: Ben Framed on April 13, 2019, 07:18:46 am
... 😁
PS I bet the old pros here are smiling about this; Been where we are now... 😊😁

I'll bet they are. Hey, at least we are trying, caring, and asking ... right?  :grin:

With the great people here helping, we will end up good I think. My hats off to all of them.
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Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Queen Cells
« Reply #18 on: April 13, 2019, 06:59:07 pm »
Quote from: CoolBees on April 13, 2019, 06:54:59 pm
Quote from: Ben Framed on April 13, 2019, 07:18:46 am
... 😁
PS I bet the old pros here are smiling about this; Been where we are now... 😊😁

I'll bet they are. Hey, at least we are trying, caring, and asking ... right?  :grin:

With the great people here helping, we will end up good I think. My hats off to all of them.

True, we are trying, ''and how'' as John Wayne use to say!!  :grin:  Good helpful  folks here for sure!!
« Last Edit: April 16, 2019, 11:07:32 am by Ben Framed »
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2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline saltybluegrass

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Re: Queen Cells
« Reply #19 on: April 16, 2019, 10:24:14 am »
Honey pump-
How do laying workers affect a queen from laying and how is that changed to become queen right again?
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