Community post
When to look for Multiple Queen Cells
A little over a month ago I did a cutout of Bees. Made a good home and they started to multiply. A week and half ago I tried my luck at a split. Lots of Bees and good amount of brood. Moved queen to a new box with comb of honey and brood. After 5 days I could get back into the box and moved some additional bees into the queen right box and checked for queen cells in the split. I stopped looking after I found the first Queen cell with a larva in the bottom. I want to find the timeline for development of the queen in that when they cap the Queen cell I may want to do additional splits or let nature take its course and bee happy?
I expect to get back in the hive next week maybe I can snap a pick or two.
Replies (6)
I would let nature take it's course! I wouldn't split them too aggressively.
A capped queen cell should hatch after 7-10 days.
Thanks I am looking at another cutout this morning. So I may just leave everyone alone as long as I see good activity and check for fresh eggs in split in 3 weeks?
after emerging the queen will need another week or so before it starts laying... so yeah, 3 weeks sounds about right, maybe give it a few more days before you make a judgement.
Well second cutout went pretty well. There are two colonies at either end of the building. started first cutout today. There were several Queen cells. According to the owner the bees moved in to the second colony 2 months ago. I am thinking the first Colony swarmed and I have cut into the superceded Colony.
Anyhow I have rubberband all the brood cone I could. Lot of Brood intermixed with honey so thinking I have a young queen maybe. As they clean out a cell she is laying a new egg. Guess that is honeybound.
I left everything there in the box and will drive back in
AM to see if everyone is moved IN.
Well there were a bunch a bees on the columns of the building and another swarm on the ground. Caught as many as I could in the cardboard nucs I took along. Closed of my 10 frame deep and returned home. Guess I will break it down in am and look for a queen. Will work up some splits from the queen cells either way . Wish me luck.
Where do you stand now! What I need to know is how many frames of bees brood eggs in each hive to go from here. Your split should have eggs by now your queen right hive sounds a little light.