On 30 Apr 97 at 10:10, Jim Moore wrote: Queen cells with eggs > What are recommended courses of action. I have a four frame > and a five frame nuc available. I have ordered a queen, I'm not sure when > it will arrive. I have no extra drawn deep comb. > > My choices seem to be: > 1 - make a couple of nucs to reduce the population > 2 - let things alone and see what happens > 3 - do a split with a new queen > 4 - do a split without a queen > 5 - put on a third deep and checkerboard the with > new foundation and the comb from the two deeps. It all depends on what you as the keeper wants. It involves a series of questions. Do I need a new queen? New last year, then no! Do I want increase? No, then use item 5, with a cut out of cells. Do I want increase? Yes, then use 3 or 4 but take a goodly amount of brood away. Do I want the hive to swarm? Yes, then use 2. Just be sure of one thing, without interference from the keeper, or a sudden break in the weather, or nectar flow, then they're gone. As to timing, a.s.a.p, otherwise the swarming impulse will be too fixed and irreversible. ********************************************************* The Bee Works, 9 Progress Drive Unit 2, Orillia, Ontario, Canada. L3V 6H1 David Eyre, Owner. Phone/Fax 705 326 7171 Dealers for E.H.Thorne & B.J.Sherriff UK http://www.muskoka.net/~beeworks *********************************************************