Embracing the Magic of Two-Day-Old Queen Cells

-Marvel at the beauty of two-day-old queen cells.

Let’s talk queen bee business and a little beekeeper wisdom from Larry Connor, as shared in the January 2009 Ameriise Journal (page 53). French beekeepers took a leaf out of the book of their eastern European counterparts and started using two-day-old queen cells instead of sealed cells. Smart move!

Here’s why these mini royal chambers are making a buzz:

Easier and cheaper to whip up.
Sturdier and more robust.
Swiftly accepted or given the royal rejection.

Back in the day, before I bid adieu to the queen business in 2000, I decided to dabble in a bit of experimentation along the same lines. Picture this: an observation hive, a handful of queen right and queenless nucs, and a curious beekeeper ready for some royal discoveries.

Grafted larvae with finesse.
Placed them in a starter-finisher setup.
Removed them at various intervals.
Transferred them to the observation hive and nucs.
Observed the bee ballet unfold.
Kept a close eye on the type of cells and queens they raised.

Guess what I found? The freshest larvae were like VIP guests at a bee party—always welcome! Acceptance dwindled as the larvae aged, especially when the nucs already had a reigning queen.

And let me tell you, those younger larvae were like bee superheroes. They handled transportation shocks, initial neglect by the nuc bees, and temperature fluctuations like champs. Cooler temperatures, even lower than the cozy brood nest, seemed to be their jam, enhancing their resilience.

Now, every superhero has a kryptonite, right? For these tiny larvae, it was the dry air. No worries, though—I crafted a nifty carrier from blue construction foam insulation. Drilled some holes, created snug nests for wide-based JZ BZ cups, and voilà! A little water, a little shake, and the cups were snug and hydrated.

Sure, there might be some timing hiccups in shorter seasons. But when you’ve got spacious mating nucs, a two-day-old cell can be the queen’s pajama party, stealing all the attention.

This method shines bright when requeening nucs, especially when dancing in tandem with a Cloake board.

-Bee-utifully Yours, D 🐝🤠