Allen asked:
> I was hoping to get your comments on the differences in time from
> splitting to full laying between cells and mated queens.  Have you any
> numbers?

I would guess at least a week and at times two weeks.

Important:
If you make your nucs up too early ( 24-48 hours before cells placed) and do
not cut out the cells the bees raise or even start  the bees will honor the
cells they have made. When this happens you might say up to three weeks to
get a queen in full production due to the time difference between a mature
ready to hatch queen cell and a cell started by the bees using a 24 hour old
larva.

In Missouri we only use mated queens. Hives returning from almonds need
split. Some swarm when the nets are pulled. We had 30 some swarms at the
holding yard the first week after return last spring. Our first queens are
from Hawaii and arrive around the 20th of March which is the time the bees
usually return from almonds. Once each hive is worked those hives are placed
in apples.

Hives wintered in Missouri are split first and second week of April. We
normally start raising our own queens around the third week of April due to
poor mating weather.

Hives returning from almonds are weeks ahead of Missouri hives in size.

A much different scenario for bees in Texas but for another post.

bob

****************************************************
* General Information About BEE-L is available at: *
* http://www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/default.htm   *
****************************************************