# General beekeeping > Queen raising >  Absconding from Apidea.

## Greengage

Hi put approx 300 workers in an three Apideas.
Removed 300 workers from different hives knocked them into a basin sprayed a little (Very little) collected them in small tub and placed them in 3 Apideas (Approx 300 per Apidea) left them queenless for 24 hours then added 3 capped Queen cells one to each apidea, Gave all three some sugar syrup, Two of the Apideas absconded no bees and cells still there one hatched in third apidea and I assume the queen is still in there although I have not checked but bees flying in and out, How do I know Queen is there believe it or not I heard her Piping and recorded her on phone so I assume she is there and the weather is good so I did not want to have a look see in case she was out mating. Any ideas why the other two absconded.

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## busybeephilip

best have them locked up for at least 3 days

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## Jon

You shouldn't open the Apidea until the queen has emerged from the cell or most of the bees usually abscond.

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## Greengage

Ok that explains that, Thanks back to the drawing board.

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## masterbk

I use Apidea and introduce the queen cell an hour or so after setting it up. I think it important to use mature Q cells within 2 or 3 days days (day 13/14) of emergence as I have had younger sealed cells neglected.  I shut them in for 3 days in the dark in my garage and water mist the grill twice a day . Don't tend to get absconding until we get to that period when queens are going on their mating flights and I don't know any way of stopping that. As soon as I see pollen going in I check for eggs  and if found I pin the red excluder over entrance to stop absconding.

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## Jon

Definitely best to use mature queen cells. If you have them in an incubator you can see the queen moving around inside the cell if you hold it up to the light so you know she is due out soon.
For the 4 days after a cell is first capped over, it is very delicate and easily damaged so due to the progression of the various larval stages so this is another reason not to use cells a long way from maturity.
Absconding happens if you open the Apidea too early, over fill it, or fail to place it in a shady place.
After the queen has mated you can get absconding if you leave her in too long. The queen is best removed as soon as you have seen sealed brood.

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## Greengage

Thanks for the posts Ill have another go and another so Ill let yea know how it goes, good weather for next 7 days here so fingers crossed.

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## Greengage

OK second apidea queen hatched even got recording on phone of her piping, She is now laying but I think  (Know) there are fewer bees in the Apidea than when it started out but there are eggs should I add more bees.

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## Adam

Not knowing quite how many bees you have, I would say that if the queen is laying, and there's enough bees to cover some brood, then leave them be. As sealed brood will generate some heat by itself the laying area should gradually increase. I would put an excluder across the entrance - as has been suggested - to keep her in. I find queens and the girls abscond when it's a hot day.

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## Greengage

> Not knowing quite how many bees you have, I would say that if the queen is laying, and there's enough bees to cover some brood, then leave them be. As sealed brood will generate some heat by itself the laying area should gradually increase. I would put an excluder across the entrance - as has been suggested - to keep her in. I find queens and the girls abscond when it's a hot day.


 OK thanks Ill do that.
Yesterday I put a added a cup kit to a queen right hive, and made another queen-less, today I added the queen to the cup kit I will leave her in it for 24 hours if I have eggs I will transfer them to a cell bar and install it in the queen-less hive.
and see what happens, I just keep the bees for a bit of fun and to see what I can learn. Nothing ventured nothing gained.

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