# Handling queen cells: 5th and 11th day



## Radar (Sep 4, 2006)

I have been led to believe that once the queen has turned round, facing down and no longer consuming jelly, then it is safe to handle.


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

Perhaps someone who has studied this can give a more specific answer to the question of exactly when they are most easily damaged. What I have heard is that about day 8 and 9 is when the wings are developing and any sharp jarring motion may lead to a damaged wing and a resulting virgin unable to mate. I think it is prudent to handle all capped cells with extreme care until they have had five full days after capping to mature. Your question about whether a damaged queen cell can be repaired is pretty hard to answer as it assumes all damage is the same. I consider them worthless to the extent that I wouldn't want to count on them.


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## Cheech (Oct 22, 2011)

I'v heard that 5 days after grafting is too early. 
My personal experience is that I moved two queen cells at 3 days after being capped (that's would be approx. 7 days after grafting if I had grafted newly hatched larvae), and a day later, the queenless hive had opened the cells and destroyed the larvae. I can only assume that the major reason is that I had damaged the larvae during the process, and I was extremely careful I might add.


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## Joseph Clemens (Feb 12, 2005)

Cheech,
Queen cells unexpectedly being destroyed, has happened to me more often than I'd like to admit. But, every time it was due to a virgin, in residence, that I had somehow overlooked. Or one that had migrated there -- which happens too often for my taste, usually from AHB colonies sending out usurpation swarms.

It is possible that these cells were naturally aborted, possibly by defective or damage to the cells, but I'm going to suspect a virgin, unless otherwise proven.


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