Menu
Log in

BUCKS COUNTY BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION

Log in

Queen cups and cells

  • June 29, 2023 7:46 PM
    Message # 13221958

    I opened my hive up today to do a mite check and noticed that within a week the bees have formed about 6 queen cups and at least 3 queen cells on the middle of the frames (assuming supercedure cells).  One queen cell is closed on the top of a frame in my 2nd box.  I have 2 medium boxes almost full of brood and honey.  The queen is alive and laying eggs and there is a lot of larvae.  I just added a 3rd box earlier in the week.  This was a nuc I received May 20th.  The bees were more agitated today.  Should I remove the cells and cups?  This queen is new this year and seemed to have a slow start but seems to be improving.  (brood pattern looks good) and mite levels have been really low.  

  • July 07, 2023 2:10 PM
    Reply # 13224966 on 13221958
    Anonymous

    Debi--please include some pictures. I want to be sure you actually have supercedure cells. If you have them, there's not much you can do to stop them at this point without doing a split. Just removing them is not a guarantee--they might swarm anyway. If it's crowding, they might be preparing to leave. The hive needs to have plenty of space and ventilation in this heat. Just removing the cells might not be enough.


    Debi mason wrote:

    I opened my hive up today to do a mite check and noticed that within a week the bees have formed about 6 queen cups and at least 3 queen cells on the middle of the frames (assuming supercedure cells).  One queen cell is closed on the top of a frame in my 2nd box.  I have 2 medium boxes almost full of brood and honey.  The queen is alive and laying eggs and there is a lot of larvae.  I just added a 3rd box earlier in the week.  This was a nuc I received May 20th.  The bees were more agitated today.  Should I remove the cells and cups?  This queen is new this year and seemed to have a slow start but seems to be improving.  (brood pattern looks good) and mite levels have been really low.  


  • July 10, 2023 11:47 AM
    Reply # 13225856 on 13221958

    Hi Kate, Attached are the pictures of the queen cells/cups (this was 2 weeks ago).  I have gone back into the hive twice (in the last 2 weeks).  Unfortunately, I have not been able to find the queen but there is evidence of a queen with eggs/larvae.  Each time, the bees have been more aggressive then ever (not sure if they have requeened or if the heat is affecting them).  My hive progress has been really slow since installing the nuc.  There were still empty frames that I've moved around to encourage comb building.  They recently and slowly are starting to build in the 3rd box (I have mediums). I have never stopped feeding with sugar syrup (they keep emptying jars). 

    1 file
Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software