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Queen cells are specially built or enlarged cells for rearing queens. During 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 oviposition and the construction of appropriate structures is:
- pre-swarm state, so swarm queens appear;
- the need to change the current queen bee as a result of death, illness or inability to lay eggs.
The main bee is easy to distinguish from the rest. She is longer and leaner. There is a sting that is designed to destroy rivals. She doesn’t bite people. After leaving the cocoon, the bee “queen” strives out of the hive along with the swarm. Mates with drones. After returning, the process of laying eggs begins. She is surrounded by nurse bees. When a parent is engaged in the reproduction of offspring, they feed her. The mother of honey insects lives an average of 9 years. However, beekeepers tend to change queens every 2 years.
What is a mother liquor
In the photo, a mature bee mother liquor is a cell for displaying the “queen”. Unlike worker bees and drones, which develop in mass combs, the queen bee matures in an individual cell. As soon as the old queen weakens, loses the ability to reproduce offspring, the swarm actively begins to create a queen 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.
The formation of the cocoon is carried out by builder bees with developed wax glands. A bee queen cell, unlike honeycomb cells, is always used for its intended purpose. Food supplies are never stored there.
What does a mother liquor look like
Outwardly, the mother liquor looks like a multifaceted cone hanging down from the frame. It resembles an acorn in shape and color. It’s hard not to notice him. It is located at the top of the tray with sealed brood. Has a dark brown color.
Types of queen cells in bees
There are 2 types of bee queen cells – swarm and fistulous. They serve one purpose – the withdrawal of queens. However, they have differences and features.
Fistulous mother liquor
The creation of cameras of this type is a necessary measure. Bees build them if there is a threat of extinction: for some reason, the family has lost the “queen”. To save life, a new uterus is required. Then the insects choose ready-made combs with a young larva. Then the cell is enlarged by neighboring bowls, thus turning it into a queen cell. When the cocoon begins to grow, the walls are built up, with the edges curving down. Milk is introduced into the diet of the larvae.
The photo clearly shows that the construction 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 are obtained as a result and the uterus. A similar thing happens when a new parent is planted on layering. Most often, beekeepers remove these cocoons.
swarm queen liquor
A swarm view of the mother liquor is built on the edge of the tray. Insects lay them on the edges of the honeycomb, and if such an erection is not possible, then they create constructions of wax at the edges. Cup-shaped base. 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, and the climatic features of the region. For example, in bees inhabiting the Northern, Central strip of Our Country, the partitions are thicker than in the southern “residents”.
They create a cocoon from recycled beeswax, so the color is brown. Swarm structures are placed more often individually, in pairs less often. The size of the mother liquor varies greatly. Its value is influenced by the amount of food in nature. The limiting indicators of the volume of a swarm-type cocoon are 750-1350 cubic meters. mm. Length 22-24 cm.
Thanks to swarm 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, swarm species should not be left to chance.
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 time when the view will be laid;
- a strong family is used, but 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
Type of mother liquor | |
swarm | Fistulous |
1.Purpose | |
Designed to breed a swarm “queen”, which will lead a swarm isolated from the family. | emergency measure. In case the queen bee does not 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 ordinary cells. In the process of development of the larva, they artificially expand to the desired size. |
3.Egg laying | |
First of all, the queen bee is rebuilt, and before the start of swarming, the queen lays an egg. | They are formed on ordinary combs, with already existing eggs from the previous parent. |
4.Dimensions | |
Exceeds the fistulous type in terms of volume. The size depends on the presence of food in it. It is shaped like a huge acorn. | Has a small size. Looks like an elongated ledge on the cell. |
5.Appearance | |
As a material for construction, recycled materials are used – darkened wax. Therefore, the color of the structure is rich brown. | They are white in color. Since cells were built urgently from fresh material. |
How do larvae develop in queen cells
The larvae, which are in the bee queen cell, grow for 5,5-6 days. With enough food, it can increase in size by 5 times. This happens due to the nutrients contained in bee milk. stages of larval development.
- Egg laying
- On day 3, the egg turns into a larva.
- On the 8th-9th day, the bee mother liquor is sealed with a cork made of wax and bee bread.
- For 7-9 days, the sealed larva pupates.
- The process of transformation into a fully developed individual occurs in 14-17 days.
- After the specified time, the upper part of the structure is printed.
The use of excess mother liquors
Methods for artificial breeding of queen bees are described in Beekeeping. The section Matkovodstvo is called. Young, productive “queens” always have a use. In private apiaries, several dozen families are bred; in large bee farms, this figure varies from 120 to 150 pieces. However, no one is immune from the loss of a mother bee. And if there are healthy, breeding queens, then there is nothing to be afraid of. This is a backup option in case of premature loss. A new female can be planted on the layer, thus forming new families.
The second option is to sell. Good money is paid for a bee bred from fertile parents. In addition, 8-10 young individuals are required for escort.
How to transfer a mother liquor to a new family
Transferring a bee queen cell to a new place is not an easy task. It will be optimal to transplant along with the cell on which it is located. There is no need to rush, the older the larva is, the faster new bees will accept it.
Opened or recently sealed queen cells should not be turned over, shaken, or subjected to temperature effects. A mature queen bee will tolerate light exposure and can be kept at room temperature for a couple of hours.
An easy way to move the mother liquor:
- Separate the chamber with a sharp knife, along with honeycombs. The mother liquor itself does not need to be touched, so as not to damage the integrity.
- Cut into circles with a diameter of 1 cm.
- Pick up a long stick, split it along the 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 is cold outside, it is already September, then the mother liquor is laid closer to the brood. There, the activity of the bees is greater, they will better warm the chrysalis. 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 became visible, then you need to carefully cover this place with wax. It is advisable to wash your hands before the procedure. Foreign odor can remain on the walls of the transplanted chamber, which will greatly reduce the success of the transplant.
The next day after installing the cocoon, it is necessary to check its condition.
- If the bees fixed it for skidding, the attachment was successful.
- If the chamber has holes, it means that the bees gnawed through the wax and killed the queen.
- The presence of an “acorn” says 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 replanting did not work the first time, you can try again. In case of another failure, it is better not to waste the material, but to immediately introduce the finished uterus.
Conclusion
The mother liquor and its development have features that require attention. After all, the uterus is the successor of the family. And the whole bee family, as well as the productivity and size of the apiary, directly depends on it. Your own, home-grown 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 Matkovyvanie.
