Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
This section deals specifically with the problems that may affect ripe queen cells in the
rearing chamber or mating nuc.
Queen cell found on the floor of a mating nuc
The beekeeper did not fix the queen cell firmly enough to the brood comb. The cell
must be securely attached. When you cut out the wax, leave a large flange of surplus
wax to attach the cell to the comb. If necessary, add burr comb to the cell's base - the
bees will have made it more secure by the next day.
Queen cell is ripped apart prior to emergence
This can happen if the cell, having been placed in the nuc's brood nest, extends too far
above the comb's surface and is partly attached to the adjacent comb by the bees. Make
sure you push the queen cell well into the comb when attaching it. You may have to
make a largish depression or recess in the comb's face before you attach the cell.
A queen cell on a bar is empty even though it appears normal
Other cells may also have been destroyed. In such cases, a virgin has emerged and has
destroyed the other cells. She has ignored the apparently healthy cell because the queen
inside has died of other causes. Check that your timing is right and/or place protection
cages over developing cells to prevent their destruction.
A queen cell in a mating nuc appears normal but no queen emerges
On inspection the queen cell is found to be empty. This usually means that the queen
has emerged and the bees have resealed the cell. This happens. Look for the queen
and/or eggs.
Queen cells on a bar have holes in their sides
The occupants are dead. Either one virgin has emerged earlier than the rest and
destroyed her rivals, or a queen or virgin has beaten the queen excluder and entered the
queen-rearing part of the hive (this is especially easy for virgins). Make sure you employ
sound queen excluders and that there are no queen cells in the excluded part of the hive
before the rearing takes place. Placing cell protectors around the queen cells can prevent
