Here are the questions first, the following is the background:

1.  Should I have re-queened as part of the split, or is it acceptable to
split with capped queen cells?

2. Queenless in both houses?

3. New queen for the hives, or let them hatch out?

Thanks for the help…JK

I had anticipated doing a split on at least one of my hives from last
year.  The hive in question was producing prolific Queen Cells (QC), both
at the bottom of the frames, as well as some on the combs (ion Both Brood
chambers.  I had switched the bodies in last February, and in again in
March when I did an examination.

Five days ago, I added seven frames of foundation when I split the hive.  I
pulled the requisite frames of brood; two capped; two capped/developing and
one predominantly eggs.  Each of the frames contained capped queen cells,
although two at the bottoms of the frames appeared to have been "flattened"
a bit during the manipulation.  In addition, I added two frames of honey.
All went into a new body, with three frames of foundation fitting out the
balance.  I could not, and have not seen the queen in the split (new box)
at any time.

Yesterday, (around 19.30) I performed a thorough search (all but shaking
them through an excluder) for a queen in the new hive.  The queen cells
that were "flattened" were gone, and I noticed one QC in the middle of the
frame that appeared to have the cap chewed off, but adjacent QC's seemed to
be intact, in addition, the mammoth cell on one of the other frames
appeared even larger than before (it was capped at the time of the split).
The bees were going to town, drawing out comb, and making honey.  Very
docile.

As for the parent hive, She was a new queen last year, as the original
queen from the package was in the process of being superseded.  They have
gotten all but four frames filled in the super with honey; this is all on
foundation they have to draw out mind you.  They are also starting to draw
out the foundation placed in the bodies during the spilt.  However, capped
brood, and brood about to be capped, but no eggs that I could see, and even
more importantly, the existing brood frames were being packed with honey
right to the developing brood.  This is in spite of the new foundation
added to the hive.  Even more disconcerting was the apparent absence of
eggs on the drawn out foundation (about 4-5mm drawn).

I did not locate the queen, but as it was approaching 22.00, and be bees
were getting very agitated, I put everything back, but not before noticing
a mammoth QC on the east side of the third frame in from the West (3E).
I "number" all hives from East-to west, and then designate sides of the
frame accordingly.  In a both I plan to go frame-by frame, and put each in
turn in another body to search for the queen.  This is the best I can do
short of shaking them down.

Those are the facts as I can recall them w/out going out to get the journal
from the shop.  Hope this helps

I tried to post this from email, but JIC, I posted the normal way...

Jonathan B. Kriebel
Das Sauen Õhr Farm
3229 Zepp Rd.
Green Lane, PA 18054-2357
Telephone:  (610) 864-8581
Facsimile:    (215) 234-8573
[log in to unmask]

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