Queen Cell Date Calculator

Planning to requeen your hive with a queen cell? Input the date that the cell is due to emerge, and then look below the calculated dates for detailed info on what each event means.

.

Make up split - It is important that you make up your queenless split on or before this date in order for the OA treatment window discussed below to work.

Orientation flights - Your virgin queen will take a series of orientation flights on these days.

Queen mating flight window - Your virgin queen should go on her mating flight sometime within this 3 day window, weather permitting. Avoid moving the hive or changing anything about its appearance during this time.

Check colony for presence of eggs - The queen may begin laying before this date, but we suggest waiting until this date to start looking for eggs.

Start of OA 3 day treatment window - When requeening a hive with a queen cell, there will be a window of approximately 3 days when the hive has little to no capped brood. This is an ideal time to kill mites by treating your hive with oxalic acid.

Combine with Queenright colony - If you still don't see eggs by this date, we would suggest combining your hive with another colony to avoid laying workers.