Care of Queen Cells

Queen cell care means protecting the cells from grafting until the queen emerges: keeping them at the right temperature, free from jolts, and distributing them on time. Mistakes made in this period (chilling, knocks, late distribution) cannot be put right later; either the cell dies or the queen emerges with deformed wings or legs and lays poorly. Below, the critical days, transport, protective cages, incubators, distribution and quality culling are explained step by step.

How does development progress in the queen cell?

Counting the grafting day as zero, the larva is fed plenty of jelly for about 4–5 days, and the cell is capped on about day 5. After capping, the larva spins a cocoon, stretches out and turns into a pupa; the queen emerges on about day 11–12. The care schedule is built around these stages:

Why must queen cells be protected from cold?

Inside the hive the brood nest is kept at around 34–35 °C. A developing queen is very sensitive to deviations from this temperature: even brief chilling disrupts development, and severe chilling kills. Overheating (cells left in the sun or kept in a closed vehicle) is just as harmful.

• Keep inspections short: Don't take the cell frame out unnecessarily; if you do, protect it from wind and sun.
• Transport container: When moving between apiaries, use an insulated container warmed with a bottle of warm water; hold the cells steady with a towel or soft material.
• Cool days: If the weather is cool, distribute around midday and close each hive before moving on to the next.

How should queen cells be carried? Jolts and position

In the days after capping the pupa is still soft and develops in a particular position inside the cell. That is why the cell must be held upright, tip pointing down.

1. Keep it upright: Never lay a cell on its side or turn it upside down; don't turn the frame over to look at it either.
2. Don't shake: Instead of shaking bees off the cell frame, remove them with a brush or a little smoke.
3. Don't drop or knock: Avoid sudden movements when taking the bars out of the frame.
4. Secure it in the vehicle: The transport container must not slide around in the vehicle; drive slowly on rough roads.

What is a protective cage for?

A protective cage fitted to a ripe cell (a wire spiral or plastic cage) keeps the queen inside even if she emerges early and stops her reaching the other cells. This gives a day or two of flexibility for distribution.

• Fit the cage on day 9–10 after grafting, when the cells are ripe; fitting it earlier can prevent the bees from working the cell.
• So that the emerged queen can be fed, the cage must allow bees to reach her, or contain a little candy.
• Don't keep a queen that emerges in a cage for days; give her to a mating nuc as soon as possible.

Can queen cells be kept in an incubator?

Ripe cells can also be held in a controlled incubator. A temperature close to that of the brood nest (about 34–35 °C) and enough humidity to keep the cells from drying out are usually used. The cells must stand upright, each in its own compartment (or protective cage); otherwise the first queen to emerge kills the rest.

An incubator helps absorb hiccups on distribution day, but temperature swings or a power cut affect the whole batch. Checking the thermometer against a separate device and inspecting the incubator regularly are essential.

How are ripe queen cells distributed?

1. Prepare the nuc: The mating nuc or split is left queenless for about a day before the cell is added; make sure there are no wild queen cells in it.
2. Choose the spot: The cell goes in the warm central area where there is brood or a dense cluster of bees, between the top bars of two frames or on the comb face.
3. Place it gently: Hold the cell by its top (the base or holder end) and don't squeeze the tip; press it lightly into the comb so it stands upright.
4. Record it: Write the batch number and distribution date on the nuc.

How do you judge queen cell quality?

Looking at a ripe cell gives a rough idea of the queen inside. A definitive assessment, however, can only be made from the queen's brood pattern.

• Good cell: Long, well formed, thick-walled, with a pitted surface; the tip is intact.
• Poor cell: Short, thin-walled, crooked or shrivelled; a hole or dent in the tip.
• Suspect cell: A cell opened or holed in the side indicates that the queen inside was killed.

Poor cells should be culled; a colony started with a poor-quality queen lags behind all season and in the end has to be requeened.

How do you check that queens have emerged?

Two or three days after distribution, the nucs can be checked with a short, quiet inspection. A cell whose tip has been opened neatly like a lid shows that the queen emerged healthy; the lid often stays attached to the cell like a hinge. A cell holed in the side, on the other hand, suggests the queen was killed by another queen or by the bees. A cell that has not opened at all is opened and examined a few days later; if there is a dead pupa inside, suspect chilling or damage.