Hello All,
I have had pretty good luck with queens from swarm cells, so when I find a
colony preparing to swarm I will split it up into nucs using the swarm cells
for the queen source.  I mentioned in an earlier post about finding a colony
ready to swarm in early April, too soon for around here.  I made three nucs
and only one has a successfully mated queen.  They hatched in all three and
destroyed other cells so I know they were there but they probably never
returned from the mating flight.

Last week I found another colony in the early stages of swarm cell
production.  I split this one a little different and just brought home one
nuc.  I remember looking close and did not notice the queen on the frame.  I
placed it in the yard near another colony.  This other colony was later
moved and some of the field force ended up in the nuc.  It appeared a bit
crowded so I felt it could be moved into a hive body.  As I was transferring
the frames I noticed young larvae and eggs. I knew  there was not enough
time for the queen to hatch, mate and begin laying.  Because it was late in
the day the frames were covered with bees and I could not find the queen.
 What I did find was the swarm cell about ready to hatch.  I really want the
queen from that cell so I transferred it to yet another nuc.  The weather is
warmer and there are a good number of drones so I can hope for a successful
mating.

I realize that sometimes a colony swarms regardless of what you do, but I
didn't think a small nuc would swarm in spite of the fact that the original
queen may still be there.  She obviously began laying again, something I
don't think she would do if preparing to swarm.  So why did  the colony
continue to raise the queen cell?  I know they can judge a queen better than
I, but she was doing well and I don't think they want to supersede her.  She
is less than a year old, not a drone layer, and has a good brood pattern.

Any thoughts?

Ron Bogansky
Kutztown, PA   USA

The only thing worse than a mail carrier with sore feet is a beekeeper with
a bad back!