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Queen cells are specially built or enlarged cells for raising queens. In the active period of their life, bees do not make them, because there is a queen. They don't need another one. The reason for laying and building appropriate structures is:
- pre-combat state, so swarms appear;
- the need to change the current queen bee as a result of death, illness or inability to lay eggs.
The main bee can be easily distinguished from the rest. It is longer and slimmer. There is a sting that is designed to destroy rivals. She does not bite people. After emerging from the cocoon, the bee "queen" strives out of the hive together with the swarm. Mates with drones. Upon returning, the process of laying eggs begins. Surrounded by her there are nursing bees. When a parent is engaged in reproduction, they feed her. The mother of honey insects lives on average 9 years. However, beekeepers usually change queens every 2 years.
What is a mother liquor
In the photo there is a mature queen bee - a cell for the withdrawal of the "queen". Unlike worker bees and drones, which develop in combs of a mass order, the queen bee matures in an individual cell. As soon as the old uterus weakens, loses the ability to reproduce offspring, the swarm actively begins to create a mother liquor. First of all, they rebuild the bowl, fill it with milk. After the old parent lays an egg there. As the larva grows, the structure increases.
Cocoon formation is carried out by construction bees with developed wax glands. The queen bee, unlike honeycomb cells, is always used for its intended purpose. Food supplies are never put there.
What does the mother liquor look like
Outwardly, the mother cell looks like a polyhedral cone hanging down from the frame. It resembles an acorn in shape and color. It is difficult not to notice it. Located at the top of the sealed brood tray. It is dark brown in color.
Types of queen cells in bees
There are 2 types of queen bees - swarm and fistulous. They serve one purpose - the hatching of queens. However, they have differences and features.
Fistulous uterus
The creation of cameras of this type is a necessary measure. Bees build them if there is a threat of extinction: for any reason, the family has lost the "queen". A new womb is required to keep alive. Then the insects choose ready-made combs with a young larva. Then the cell is enlarged due to the neighboring bowls, thus turning it into a queen bee. When the cocoon begins to grow, the walls are built up, with the edges bent down. Milk is introduced into the diet of the larva.
The photo clearly shows that the structure of the fistulous mother liquor is milky-white, since the construction is carried out from fresh wax. They are created by weak honey insects. Unproductive, small ones result in uterus. This happens when a new parent is planted on the layers. Most often, these cocoons are removed by beekeepers.
Swarm Queen
The swarming species of the mother liquor is built on the edge of the tray. Insects lay them on the edges of the honeycomb, and if there is no possibility of such an erection, then they create structures of wax at the edges. The base is cupped. The beginning is called a bowl. The bottom is rounded.The inner walls are smooth, the texture is glossy. The thickness of the walls depends on the breed of bees, the bribe, the strength of the family, the climatic characteristics of the region. For example, the bees inhabiting the Northern, Central Russia have thicker partitions than those of the southern “inhabitants”.
They create a cocoon from recycled beeswax, so the color is brown. Swarm structures are placed more often separately, less often in pairs. The size of the mother liquor varies greatly. Its value is influenced by the amount of feed in nature. The limiting indicators of the volume of the swarm-type cocoon are 750-1350 cubic meters. mm. Length 22-24 cm.
Thanks to queen cells, beekeepers breed productive swarms of bees. They collect more honey, wax, their proboscis is much longer than that of artificially bred families. At the same time, swarming species should not be allowed to drift.
In turn, they have a number of disadvantages:
- it is difficult to control the number of queen cells;
- it is not possible to adjust the period when the view will be laid;
- a strong family is used, however, in the process of swarming, its productivity decreases;
- unwanted swarming in the apiary is allowed.
How to determine which mother liquor is fistulous or swarm
Mother liquor type | |
Roevoy | Svishcheva |
1.Purpose | |
Designed to breed a swarm "queen", which will lead a swarm separated from the family. | Emergency measure. In case the queen bee cannot cope with the main function of reproducing offspring. |
2.Location | |
Construction takes place on the edge of the honeycomb. Formation begins with a rounded bowl. There are structures built on the plane of the honeycomb. | Cocoons are located in regular cells. During the development of the larva, they artificially expand to the desired size. |
3 laying eggs | |
The first step is to rebuild the queen bee, and before the swarming begins, the queen lays an egg. | They are formed on ordinary combs, with already existing eggs from the previous parent. |
4.Size | |
Exceeds the fistulous type in terms of volume. The sizes depend on the availability of food in it. It resembles a huge acorn in shape. | It is small in size. It looks like an elongated protrusion on the cell. |
5.Appearance | |
Recyclable materials are used as a material for construction - darkened wax. Therefore, the color of the structure is deep brown. | They are distinguished by a snow-white color. Since the cells were built urgently from fresh material. |
How larvae develop in queen cells
The larvae that are in the queen bee grow for 5.5-6 days. When a sufficient amount of feed is received, it can increase in size by 5 times. This is due to the nutrients contained in bee's milk. Stages of development of the larva.
- Egg-laying.
- On day 3, the egg turns into a larva.
- On the 8-9th day, the queen bee is sealed with a cork of wax and bee bread.
- Within 7-9 days, the sealed larva pupates.
- The process of transformation into a fully developed individual takes place in 14-17 days.
- After the specified time, the upper part of the building is printed.
The use of extra queen cells
Methods for artificial breeding of queen bees are described in Beekeeping. The section is called Matkovodstvo. There is always a use for young, productive “queens”. Several dozen families are bred in private apiaries; in large bee farms, this figure varies from 120 to 150 pieces. However, no one is safe from the loss of the mother bee. And if there are healthy, their own breeding uterus, then there is nothing to be afraid of. This is a fallback in case of premature loss. A new female can be added to the layer, thus forming new families.
The second option is sale. A bee bred from fertile parents pays good money. In addition, 8-10 juveniles are required for escort.
How to transfer a mother plant to a new family
Transferring a queen bee to a new place is not an easy task. It will be optimal to transplant together with the honeycomb on which it is located.There is no need to rush, the older the larva is, the sooner new bees will accept it.
Opened or recently sealed mother liquors must not be turned over, shaken, or exposed to temperature. A mature queen bee will undergo a slight impact and can be at room temperature for a couple of hours.
A simple way to move the mother liquor:
- Separate the chamber with a sharp knife, along with the honeycomb. The mother cell itself does not need to be touched so as not to damage the integrity.
- Cut in a circle with a diameter of 1 cm.
- Pick up a long stick, split it along its length.
- Honeycombs are inserted between the two halves, and the edges are connected with a thread.
- The structure is installed near the nest.
When transplanting, it is important to pay attention to the season. If it's cold outside, it's already September, then the broodstock is laid closer to the brood. Bees are more active there, they will warm the pupa better. When the weather is warm, the sealed camera can be placed at the bottom of the evidence. There honey bees will provide the future "queen" with warmth.
If the honeycomb is damaged, and the larva becomes visible, then you need to carefully cover this place with wax. It is advisable to wash your hands before the procedure. A foreign smell can remain on the walls of the planting chamber, which will greatly reduce the success of the transplant.
The next day after installing the cocoon, it is imperative to check its condition.
- If the bees fixed it on a skid, the attachment was successful.
- If the camera has holes, it means that the bees gnawed the wax and killed the queen.
- The presence of the "acorn" indicates that the queen bee has already left.
After 3 days, the insects completely destroy the wax, then the further share of the "queen" will be unknown. If the planting did not work the first time, you can try again. In case of another failure, it is better not to waste material, but to immediately enter the finished uterus.
Conclusion
The uterus and its development have features that require attention. After all, the uterus is the continuer of the family. And the whole bee colony directly depends on it, as well as the productivity and size of the apiary. Your own, homegrown bee, no doubt, will be better than someone else's. However, the issue of obtaining a "queen" should be approached with all seriousness, having previously studied the nuances in the section of uterine excretion.
