>

I made two nucs with swarm cells this spring. I have done this before with reasonable
success.  I separated the nucs from the parent colony by 15-20 feet.  This year two
strikes -  When I checked back, there was no queen and no queen cell in either.  I
don't know why they did not raise a queen.  I have now given one of the colonies
another queen cell and the other a frame with eggs from which to raise an emergency
queen.  I am about to check to see if they are queen right.  Just when we think we
know what we are doing, the bees fool us.

Larry Krengel
Marengo, IL  USA


>  every one of them had torn down
> the swarm cells and were busily storing nectar in all available cells.   I was sort
> of surprised
> that they didn't raise a single queen from all those swarm cells.  I wonder if I
> had taken the nucs away and distributed them in other yards if they would have
> done the same.  Any thoughts, Aaron or anyone else?
>
> Ted Fischer
> Dexter, Michigan USA