(Thomas) (Cornick) wrote:
>
> When making splits are the queen cells produced by colonies preparing to
> swarm ok to shift into the nucs.
> Or is it better to use the cells produced by bees from eggs and brood placed
> in a queenless nuc a few weeks ahead of splitting.
 
Just a personal observation about your first question:  Last year I
noticed, in midsummer, that a package colony had gotten very large and
seemed to be in pre-swarm activity.  I opened it and found many ripe
queen cells, some damaged queen cells and about 4 virgin queens.  I
immediately divided the entire colony into 3-frame nucs, giving a good
queen cell or a virgin queen to each.  I ended up with 6 good laying
queens in all 6 nucs (never did find out what happened to the original
queen).  I used two to requeen, and the rest all grew into nice two
chambered colonies, packed with honey, by September.
 
On your second question:  In my opinion, by putting frames of eggs and
young brood into a nuc, you will be trying to get too much production
from too few bees.  I don't think that a nuc will be able to raise a
good queen from scratch.  If you get anything at all, she will likely be
a runt.
 
Ted Fischer
Dexter, Michigan USA