Moon spaced out

With the queens due to hatch Saturday or so, I thought I ought to separate the queen cells out in the hope that I can rear two queens, in case one doesn't mate properly (or so I can requeen the Star with a Moonchild). The weather was not great (it started to rain the moment I opened up the brood box, but luckily neither heavily, nor for long), so I had slightly more high-pitched, nervous bees than usual that flew all around me. The Moon has definitely not swarmed: it is full. Even the super I put on was full of bees and activity.

The Moon super, looking as full as the brood box

However, I was right in my assumption that the Moon is queenless. This was obvious from the frames, which had no new brood, but which the bees were using for stores. Also, there were no new queen cells, meaning there are no new eggs that could be turned into such. This means it is even more vital that at least one queen cell produces a viable queen.

I took out three frames from the Moon and placed them, with the bees adhering thereto, into the nuc box. I blocked the entrance so the bees would get used to their new home. I hope they recognise this as their new home now and look after the queen cell.

The nuc box with three Moon frames. The frame with the queen cell is in the middle, marked with a drawing pin

The Moon has one queen cell left, too. Both should hatch in a few days and the queens will then go on a few practice flights before mating and settling down to lay. At least that's what they should. With the moon being so full of surprises I somehow feel this may not run quite as smoothly as envisaged.