# Queen cells after split made a new queen



## Juniper (Jun 28, 2016)

Hi all,

I split a strong hive that had capped queen cells on May 31, and found a big beautiful queen laying on June 22. I went back yesterday (June 26) to check on the space in the hive, because during the time they were raising the queen, the bees filled a lot of the frames with honey, though when I checked on the 22nd, I added a fully drawn super on top (didn't have any drawn frames for a second brood box). To my great surprise, I saw one huge fully capped white queen cell on the side of a frame! Does anyone know why they would do this so quickly after getting a new queen? Could it be a space issue? Could it be that they don't like their new queen or that they didn't give her time to really get into her laying pattern? She was quick to mate and get back to the hive...

Does this happen often? Can I use the queen cell for another split? Or should I let them keep it in case their queen is weak?

Thanks for any information you can give!


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## DrJeseuss (May 28, 2015)

Could be many things. I personally would pull that frame with cell to a nuc if you have the resources to back it up. I would make the nuc, wait a day, then add that frame before it emerges. If you don't have the frames and bees for a nuc don't spread things to thin or they may not make winter. If they intend to supercede her they'll do it again, if not, you'll have another hive.


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

It happens, The new queen often begins slow, The house bees and particularly the nurse bees want a lot of brood to care for It is what nurse bees do and they do not like unemployment. They perceive the slow start up of the new queen as poor producer, and begin to supersede her. If she can ramp up production in time they will tear down the cell. if not she will be superseded. If you feel they the queen within the hive now has potential Harvest the cell and use it to build a nuc. If things do not turn out as you had hoped you can always pinch off the lesser queen and combine the hives later.


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## Juniper (Jun 28, 2016)

Thank you - I did just that. I left the queen cell with the bees in the original hive and split out the laying queen into a nuc. Fingers crossed!!


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## Daniel Y (Sep 12, 2011)

I have come to monitor the amount of brood a colony has. It seems to me that there is a minimal amount of brood they need to prevent them from having queen quality concerns. prevent any queen regardless of how adequate she is from producing that brood and bees will replace her. they have no more luck with the next one if no additional room for brood is provided. Just a month of production or so is lost. I see in general it is an assumption that if you have a queen and she is mated she is laying. No evaluation of just where she is laying she just must be laying. For me it is a matter of a brood chamber is for brood. I allow two frames of honey and pollen at it's edges but the rest is brood. If I find other matter including nector or honey in there. it is removed and empty frames replace it. this is so the queen has the opportunity to put in the brood chamber what I expect in a brood chamber.


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