NICOT & Small cell queens

[theriverhawk]

I use the NICOT for queen production. I have also converted numerous hives to 4.9 small cell as part of my own little test to see if there's anything to the 4.9/varroa rumors. The verdict is still out with me.

Here's my question. Will new queens from 5.4 queen mothers have troubles when placed in 4.9 small cell hives/nucs/splits? Every swarm I've ever caught and placed straight into 4.9 foundation has superseded the queen within weeks. I also know that the cell size in the NICOT has sometimes been said to be a little large.

So, anyone have experience with this?

[Vance G]

Neither of the swarms I caught this last summer superceded.  I think we are both just seeing anecdotal incidents.  I have put ordered queens on comb from regressed bees drawing under 5mm and the supercedure rate was no higher than those I put on 5.4mm.   I recall reading that since the queens abdomen is a telescoping apendage that the smaller size cell really poses no problem.  If it is, I just haven't seen it.

[sawdstmakr]

Most swarms replace the queen shortly after they settle into a new hive. It is not something new. L.L Langstroth  talks about it in "Langstroth on the hive and the honey bee". It was written in @ 1958.
Jim

[Vance G]

Langstroth was writing about that same subject in the 1850's!  What a long and productive writing career!!  :<}

[Michael Bush]

I've only had one queen that was so fat she couldn't lay in 4.9mm cells, and they quickly superseded her.  As mentioned above, swarms often supersede soon after they get settled in when it's a primary swarm and they have the old queen.