puncture the candy

Morning, introduced caged queen on Friday, when would you puncture the candy?

Never

ok, when would you remove tap to allow workers to release queen?

If they have been Q- for a while take the cap out straight away

SteveG said:

Morning, introduced caged queen on Friday, when would you puncture the candy?

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To amplify SteveG's question (he has the misfortune to have me as his mentor):
For time availability for us both we decided to remove the old queen and introduce the new Q on the same day. Thus we didn't break the tab covering the candy. It is a small quiet colony so our question is:how many days would you leave the cage before removing the tab?
[Normally I introduce the new queen to a colony from which I removed the old queen about 3 days before - but then you've the nuisance of having to go through the box and destroy any emergency queen cells - at least I assume folk do this]

Personally I leave it at least 2 days, and if a stroppy unit then a couple of days more as the bees usually get the queen out in roughly 12 to 24 hours from opening the access up.

PH

48 hrs max for me, I tend to go by the attitude of the hive in general but there's nothing worse than watching her be balled when you miscalculate so ...... 48 hrs max!
e

I would normally leave it for two days. If the end is taped with no tab to remove, use some insulation tape or similar over the top or you'll find they've released her long before you return

The first Queen i released was after three day's, it was in a nuc of calm bees, the bees where showing very little interest with the Queen in the cage so i slid the slide open and she wandered of onto the comb and down into the hive, she is still there two weeks later and laying.

The second Queen i introduced into another nuc was getting a little bit more attention than i liked even after three days, so i did not release her straight onto the comb, instead i popped the plastic tab from the Queen cage, i was supposed to check today to see if she was out but the weather is horrendous so i had to cancel opening any of them up.

Michael Palmer said:

Never

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Now, with more information on what you're trying to do...I would have used a push-in cage to introduce the new queen.

Michael Palmer said:

Now, with more information on what you're trying to do...I would have used a push-in cage to introduce the new queen.

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Thanks for that. I've only recently become acquainted with the concept of a push-in cage. Interestingly such a device does not appear in Thorne's catalogue (?the largest retailer of bee equipment in the UK).

Amari said:

Thanks for that. I've only recently become acquainted with the concept of a push-in cage. Interestingly such a device does not appear in Thorne's catalogue (?the largest retailer of bee equipment in the UK).

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The plastic Nicotplast cages are widely available (http://www.nicotplast.fr/presentationanglais/gbpagecadre.htm) but, I think, a lot of people make their own by snipping the corners of a piece of fine wire mesh and folding them over.

Many thanks. Interesting kit in their catalogue!

Amari said:

To amplify SteveG's question (he has the misfortune to have me as his mentor):
For time availability for us both we decided to remove the old queen and introduce the new Q on the same day. Thus we didn't break the tab covering the candy. It is a small quiet colony so our question is:how many days would you leave the cage before removing the tab?
[Normally I introduce the new queen to a colony from which I removed the old queen about 3 days before - but then you've the nuisance of having to go through the box and destroy any emergency queen cells - at least I assume folk do this]

Click to expand...

I never leave the colony Q- for more than half an hour. leave the tab in for a couple of days, sometimes only 24 hours if the hive is on the doorstep and I can always change my mind if they are still a bit tetchy. I find that after two or three (out apiary timings on one) days they are calm enough.

queen not found - good number of new brood

Checked the hive today after introduction of new queen 7 days ago. didn't see queen, good news lots of new brood.

Frames all covered with bees, with one frame left to use for stores /brood. told not to add super, will be strong and ready for winter

Also checked Nuc where i placed the old queen and sadly no new brood. still 2 frames of old brood, with good number of bees covering the 5 frames.
Also good amount of pollen in hive and on bees entering. Think I will try to buy new queen for the nuc and see if I can also get it through winter. Sure some will say i should combine. Not sure i want "all my eggs in the one basket" for next spring.