3Reds and I did a split last week. I put in two frames of brood and two frames of honey, and one frame of foundation. As I was putting in the last frame of brood, I spotted a SHB scurry across the frame. I ignored it, thinking it was just one beetle, and the bees would control it.
We checked the nuc today, after a week, and found three queen cells. However, two of the queen cells were on a frame that had slime and maggots over half of it. I had to throw away two combs; one with brood and one with honey. The honey frame was really heavy and full.
I noticed that there were not many bees in the hive, too. I'm realizing the mistakes I made last week: I didn't kill the SHB when I had the chance; I didn't shake enough bees into the nuc; and I didn't put a SHB trap in the nuc.
Tonight, I realize mistakes I made today. In the moment, I just kind of panicked. I wanted to get rid of the mess as quick as possible. Although I didn't physically vomit (like Jen says she would), my brain did.
The slime was only on one side of one half of the frame with the queen cells. I could have cut off the slimed part, cleaned it up a bit, and put it back into the nuc. Or, I could have at least cut out the queen cells and placed them in the same frame as the surviving queen cell.
Oh, speaking of the surviving queen cell, I accidentally cut of the top of the cell. I could see the pupae in there, and I don't think she was hurt. I hope the surviving bees will recap her.
Sitting here, typing this, I can still smell the fermented mess the shb caused.
yuck!