Queen Cell Viability Question

[mgmoore7]

As of Tuesday, I had 11 queen cells that looks viable.  Tomorrow is the day to move them into mating nucs. 

Today, I checked the cells and found 3-4 had alot of wax built around them. 

Am I right to assume that these queen cells will not hatch a queen.  I am thinking the bees know they are not alive and started puting wax on them?

[Michael Bush]

You are not right to assume they are not viable.  They just build wax around them because there was space and they needed some comb.  Use a sharp hot knife and cut them apart and put them in mating nucs.

[mgmoore7]

Oh, wow.  I had made up 11 mating nucs assuming I had 11 queens, then saw the cells and dispersed 4 of the mating nucs into others.  That is ok, it is probably better anyway.  I was really stretching my resources anyway to add those and the SHB is a real concern of mine for these nucs.

None of the cells were attached together, just wax on the cells. 

Michael, when you have used the 2 frame mating nucs, do you typically do one or two frames of brood?  I was putting one frame of brood and shaking in some more bees and one frame of foundation. 

I saw one cell that that noticibly smaller than the others.  Should I not use this cell?

One more question.  Tomorrow is the day I am scheduled to move the cells into the nucs.  All the nucs were made up today by noon.  Can I move the cells in later today or do I need to wait.  Tomorrow is a real busy day and I will have to squeeze it in, get sweaty, take another shower......

[Michael Bush]

>Michael, when you have used the 2 frame mating nucs, do you typically do one or two frames of brood?

Nothing seems to be quite that clear cut, but the idea is one frame of brood and one frame of honey.  Of course sometimes it's mostly honey with a little brood on both or one mostly honey and one mostly brood etc.

>  I was putting one frame of brood and shaking in some more bees and one frame of foundation.

I give them two drawn frames, one mostly honey and one mostly brood.  Sometimes the honey one is only half full or the brood one is only half full.


>I saw one cell that that noticibly smaller than the others.  Should I not use this cell?

The cells are always far larger than necessary.  I guess if you're going to cull some, it may as well be the smaller ones, but I would not have any expectations of the smaller cell being any different.

>One more question.  Tomorrow is the day I am scheduled to move the cells into the nucs.  All the nucs were made up today by noon.  Can I move the cells in later today or do I need to wait.

Either will work.

>  Tomorrow is a real busy day and I will have to squeeze it in, get sweaty, take another shower......

I know what you mean. I often make them up and put the cells in the same day.  It's a little better acceptance to wait overnight, but I often don't and it usually doesn't matter.

[mgmoore7]

Thanks!!!