1st Sept. - 30 queen cells

[HarryO]

30 queen cells found in brood box Sept. what’s a man to do? Exasperated!
Last inspection about 11 days ago. “No need to go digging around brood every 6/7 days at this time of year, not likely to swarm.”
Last inspection brood box had 8/9 frames Bias. Plus 2 frames with a little bit of stores otherwise empty. Queen well marked, seen, lovely large queen. I enjoyed watching her walk on the frame and carefully slid it back. I do not think I squashed her but I know you can never be certain. Lots of brood including eggs so she appeared to be doing her stuff.
2 supers one with 6 frames half capped. One with 3 capped frames and 2 frames uncapped nectar. I took the 3 capped frames and replaced with ‘drawn comb’.

I put a wet super on top of stack above an empty super (for an eke) with reduced hole in crown board.

Inspection today still 8 frames of brood but a couple ‘patchy’ where bees had emerged. Other bees emerging whilst I was there. No eggs, no larvae so she has been gone a while.
30 sealed queen cells across frames. On face of comb. Some big some not so big.

Supers have a little more nectar but still only half cells capped.
Wet super had a lot of bees in they have almost finished clearing it. A little patch of crystallised honey left on one frame.

Any Sherlocks out there that would like to throw in an idea as to what happened?

I would be most grateful for any suggestions as to my course of action now. Apart from the “Take up fishing” retort! Which I am beginning to think about.

I have 3 other colonies. One double National brood box the result of uniting to get rid of a queen that was running the most aggressive colony I have ever experienced - nice calm colony now. One single National . Another single National with a small but prolific queen that keeps slipping through the Queen excluder and laying in the supers and refusing to do anything in the brood box.

There are some test your IQ quizzes online if you do not fancy tackling this mystery!!!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

At a guess, something's happened to the queen - emergency Queen cells

 

[Erichalfbee]

30 queen cells found in brood box Sept. what’s a man to do? Exasperated!
Last inspection about 11 days ago. “No need to go digging around brood every 6/7 days at this time of year, not likely to swarm.”
Last inspection brood box had 8/9 frames Bias. Plus 2 frames with a little bit of stores otherwise empty. Queen well marked, seen, lovely large queen. I enjoyed watching her walk on the frame and carefully slid it back. I do not think I squashed her but I know you can never be certain. Lots of brood including eggs so she appeared to be doing her stuff.
2 supers one with 6 frames half capped. One with 3 capped frames and 2 frames uncapped nectar. I took the 3 capped frames and replaced with ‘drawn comb’.

I put a wet super on top of stack above an empty super (for an eke) with reduced hole in crown board.

Inspection today still 8 frames of brood but a couple ‘patchy’ where bees had emerged. Other bees emerging whilst I was there. No eggs, no larvae so she has been gone a while.
30 sealed queen cells across frames. On face of comb. Some big some not so big.

Supers have a little more nectar but still only half cells capped.
Wet super had a lot of bees in they have almost finished clearing it. A little patch of crystallised honey left on one frame.

Any Sherlocks out there that would like to throw in an idea as to what happened?

I would be most grateful for any suggestions as to my course of action now. Apart from the “Take up fishing” retort! Which I am beginning to think about.

I have 3 other colonies. One double National brood box the result of uniting to get rid of a queen that was running the most aggressive colony I have ever experienced - nice calm colony now. One single National . Another single National with a small but prolific queen that keeps slipping through the Queen excluder and laying in the supers and refusing to do anything in the brood box.

There are some test your IQ quizzes online if you do not fancy tackling this mystery!!!

I agree. Sound like emergency cells

 

[ericbeaumont]

I agree. Sound like emergency cells

Yep. Leave them to it.

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Sorry Harry, but the way you’ve written this has really made me smile.
I agree the fishing option does seem attractive at times.....
I expect they’ll sort themselves out and I wish you well.

 

[HarryO]

I guess that despite my thinking that I was gentle during the colony check, that lovely queen was somehow squished during the manipulation. So I will put this accidental regicide down to my clumsiness.

The questions that someone may be able to help me with are:-
1. Will they swarm?
2. Will they despatch all the excess Q. Cells or should I do it?
3. Should I do a split or unite to prevent a swarm, removing Q. Cells in the process?
4. I am still seeing a few drones but if Q. hatches is she likely to get mated at this time of year?

Any input will be welcome.

 

[madasafish]

I would cut 30 down to 2 - the ones with the most sculpted outside and of a reasonable size..Long and thin tends to be bad news...

That makes the risk of swarming much less- far less risk of damage to a queen and peace of mind to the beekeeper.. The latter is by far the most important...

If she emerged tomorrow , she has a 3-4 week window to get mated. I still have drones and have seen mating flights this week (a mini nuc raising own queen after I used the last one).

But it's a gamble on the weather.

Personally if a largeish hive I would buy a mated queen which should ensure they go into winter queen right..

The problem with waiting for a queen to mate at this time is:
1. she may not mate properly and die after a few weeks or turn drone layer
2. Even if she does get mated, she is unlikely to be laying fully until near end September. You NEED those new bees to replace all your existing bees which will die before winter. So you are risking the entire hive on 1. good weather. 2 a successful mating and 3. good foraging weather so she can lay a lot and the workers feed and raise brood before they die off.


If you were in the balmy South, you could do it.. But you are in Yorkshire.Get early frosts and lots of rain and it could be a disaster..

I would not in your shoes.

 

[HarryO]

Well I culled all the smaller Q.cells, something I just did not enjoy.
3 Q.cells left to develop. Couldn’t! Bring myself to leave just two possibly another stupid decision.
Tips of Q.cells lighter colour as if they have been nibbled.
I cannot imagine they will swarm, a suicide mission for the colony, but who knows.
I will just wait and see now and carry on as if there is a queen I.e. feed, treat etc.
Thank you for all the insights from the forum people.

P.s. I am still seeing quite a few drones in this hive and my other colonies. So fingers crossed on the weather and all the other worrying variables.

I would cut 30 down to 2 - the ones with the most sculpted outside and of a reasonable size..Long and thin tends to be bad news...

That makes the risk of swarming much less- far less risk of damage to a queen and peace of mind to the beekeeper.. The latter is by far the most important...

If she emerged tomorrow , she has a 3-4 week window to get mated. I still have drones and have seen mating flights this week (a mini nuc raising own queen after I used the last one).

But it's a gamble on the weather.

Personally if a largeish hive I would buy a mated queen which should ensure they go into winter queen right..

The problem with waiting for a queen to mate at this time is:
1. she may not mate properly and die after a few weeks or turn drone layer
2. Even if she does get mated, she is unlikely to be laying fully until near end September. You NEED those new bees to replace all your existing bees which will die before winter. So you are risking the entire week hive on 1. good weather. 2 a successful mating and 3. good foraging weather so she can lay a lot and the workers feed and raise brood before they die off.


If you were in the balmy South, you could do it.. But you are in Yorkshire.Get early frosts and lots of rain and it could be a disaster..

I would not in your shoes.

 

[HarryO]

Had a quick check on this colony I was just going to take the super off when I heard Queen “quacking”. Clear as anything. Nottingham Uni. Say that colony does not release “quacking” queens until “tooting” queens stop tooting meaning the “tooting” Q. Has gone, swarmed.
Anyway on with the report. I did not hear any “tooting”. The “quacking” stopped so I took off super and had a quick check on what had happened to the Q.cells I had left at last inspection. I found two Q cells torn down (the side of the cell torn away). One Q. Cell with the little circular cap taken off, as if Q released in usual way.
Quickly put hive back together. I probably should have left the colony alone when hearing the “quacking”. Bad practice and decision on my part. I hope the Q. Has time (and opportunity!!!) to get mated.
I thought the ‘quacking’ may be of interest to some people. I have heard tooting before but not “quacking”.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

This season I had a colony with a solitary queen walking across the frame and she was both quacking and tooting.

 

[HarryO]

Sounds like she didn’t know whether she was coming or going!

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

I hope you get the weather you need for her to mate.
Please update when you can.

 

[HarryO]

Will do. Fingers crossed. Still seeing drones.
Beekeeping - it seems will always be subject to the vagaries and whims of weather and nature (amongst other things, not least those of beekeepers!)

 

[Wingy]

It’s still happening, lost a swarm last week
I went to my allotment on Saturday (5/9/20) and guy on next plot said “was going to ring you on Thursday, had a big cluster of bees in my apple tree, they were still there yesterday but have gone now”
Sure enough my biggest hive had swarmed.
still plenty of drones & drone brood in some hives so fingers crossed for mating or it will be a late unite.