# cutting out queen cells



## avalonweddingsbcs (May 2, 2010)

so i have a frame with 12 queen cells on it..

problem is 3 are on the far end of one side.. 3 on the other side... flip over.. and then 3 on one far side and 3 on the other...

so 6 cells in a cluster, on each side... so how can i cut a cell out without hurting the other queens...?


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## Bees of SC (Apr 12, 2013)

Do you need 12 queens at this time or just 4 or 8?


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## texanbelchers (Aug 4, 2014)

Very carefully..... What foundation, if any?


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

You need to focus on just a couple. What would you do with 12?
Utility knife or exacto and go slow.


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## texanbelchers (Aug 4, 2014)

On further thought, if they are on a soft foundation and you needed 4, the you could cut perpendicular to the foundation and sacrifiice the middle 2 of each set netting you 4 pairs. If it is hard foundation, you could use push in cages and let them emerge in place. They will figure out which one of each set of 3 survives. Then move them to queenless nucs, still netting 4.


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## Clayton Huestis (Jan 6, 2013)

IF you don't need all the cells get rid of any runt cells and pick the best developed cells when making the choice as to which ones to sacrifice. Remember quality of quantity is often best.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

I use a very sharp one sided small razor blade to cut out these cells. And then put
one cell in a small jar with small holes on the lid. I got 10 of these jars for free everyday.
Once the cells hatched I can select the virgin queen to put in the mating nuc made ahead of time.
When you select the cells to cut out take the longest and fattest at the bottom not the short small one.
Cut deep into the comb to remove the cell. If you see some RJ at the end sticking out then you have to 
use a lighter and a strip of wax to seal the cell back up. If not then they will tear down the cell and eat all the
RJ and the developing queen larva too. So make sure no RJ is exposed from the cell. You have to choose which
cell to keep when they are sticking together. I always go for the fat at the bottom and longest ones.

Ice chest of small jars and cell in a jar:


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## larrypeterson (Aug 22, 2015)

If I May,

Clayton Huestis mentioned something that I am in total favor of. Selection of the best and largest queen cells. 

I had an unusual experience this last July. I set up 4 nucs but didn't have any viable queen cells that day. I decided to sent to a "queen supply" and purchased 4 mated queens. I had been wanting to try the "Carniolins" for a while and so I purchased on of the 4. She was a tiny, smaller than the worker bees, short with very little abdumin, and if it were not for the little blue dot on her thorax, I would have never guessed she was a queen. She nor any of the other bees in the nuc had any interest eating out the candy plug so after 4 days I turned her loose with every intention to cull her after I could get a viable cell. I kinda' forgot her but in a few weeks I had very large and very dark nurse bees in the hive. Now the bees are outgrowing the nuc and her offspring are easily twice her size. My guess is that she had the genetics but that she had been starved? I doubt that she has much longevity and I will replace her or let the hive supercede her.

I would welcome any thoughts on selective breeding, especially on selection criteria.

Best wishes, LP


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