Queen Cells Moved into Nuc

[tbonekel]

On April 4th, I discovered that my bees had made quite a few queen and swarm cells and they were capped. On the 6th, I moved one frame with 3 capped cells into a nuc. I checked yesterday (9th) and they are still capped. According to the queen rearing calendar, it takes 7 or 8 days for the queens to emerge, right? So if that's the case, then I first saw them right after they were capped, I hope.

On a related note, since it was my first time to make a nuc, I didn't shake any bees into the nuc. I just put the frames and the bees on the frames in the nuc. I think there may be enough, but if I go back to the original hive and get some more bees, would they freak?

[rwlaw]

Ya, your pretty much in the ball park for emerging in 7 days after they're capped.
I usually give a couple shakes of bees in the nucs, besides what's on the frames. Give a couple shakes at the hive entrance, it's pandemonium, but the bees that haven't oriented yet will walk into the nuc and the older ones will fly back to theirs.

[iddee]

"Give a couple shakes at the hive entrance, it's pandemonium, but the bees that haven't oriented yet will walk into the nuc and the older ones will fly back to theirs."

I think rw means this is the way to add bees now, after the split has been made, and I agree. It is the best way I know, once the bees have been separated for a few days.

[rwlaw]

Sorry, I was getting a service call and didn't proof read, can't multi task anymore  .
When I set up nucs I give a couple shakes into the frames. 
If I find one light I give a shake or two at the entrance.
Thanks iddee for cutting my slack.

[Jen]

I did this for the first time about 3 weeks ago when I pulled a nuc from Hot Hive. I only put just the bees that were on the frames. Two weeks later I peeked and nothing was happening. No wax was being pulled, no eggs were being layed, the bees were wandering around. It occured to me that the queen will not lay more eggs unless there is plentiful bees to cover them. So I shook two frames choke full of bees from another hive into the nuc. I haven't checked in about 10 days, will Sunday, but I am seeing more bees coming and going. Which means they are bringing in pollen and nectar which will get the queen laying.

[tbonekel]

I checked on this nuc yesterday which would be on the 11th. When I put this  together, there were three total capped cells in this nuc and when I looked, one of the cells was open. It didn't look right though. The cell was torn lengthwise in half. I didn't stay in and look for the queen, I just put it back together. I'm hoping that she came out right and they were tearing down the cell. The other two cells were still capped.