advice following hive inspection please

[Cuckmere couple]

great buckfast colony from p@@nes in May (overwintered)

7 frames of brood and 1 full super

two questions

1. we found a single charged queen cell and a few play cups...in middle of frames not on bottom - saw queen and eggs. Is this likely supersedure and what should we do? we destroyed this one for now
2. the second super is only being filled in an arc with the middle of each frame empty as if theyre leaving laying room - normal? anything we should do? theyre also adding pollen

thanks

 

[Cuckmere couple]

queen spotted and eggs btw

 

[enrico]

You can never be sure. It has all the makings of supercedure. But that doesn't mean they won't swarm. Keep a careful eye on them. Five days go back in and see what has happened. More than one queen cell consider making a nuc with one as a back up. If obviously swarm cells then AS. If single queen cell again then it is your call!
E

 

[Cuckmere couple]

Don’t really follow?

My only plan from limited knowledge would be to remove q plus frames if brood into a nuc and allow them to produce another queen

Is it the case that if it’s a suoercedure, this wouldn’t be a great plan as there’s a reason they are planning to replace?

 

[Dadnlad]

If they produce a single ss cell again then removing the Q to a nuc will give you backup incase the ss goes wrong

If they add to the number of Qcells then treat it as a swarm and AS (ie move the brood and single uncapped QC away and leave Q and foragers behind on foundation)

They do change their plans to keep you on your toes

I saw a single lovely ss cell almost capped on an outer frame last inspection of my LASI Q, but didn't do anything with it apart from pinning the frame.
Day off on thursday, knowing it wouldnt have emerged yet, went back to move it to a nuc and it had been torn down - presumably she wasn't ready to give up yet !

 

[Beefriendly]

Unless you want to make increase, KO the queen cell and see if they try again. More often than not a single cell can be a mistake by the bees. They are not perfect. I see if often enough myself.

 

[Millet]

I currently have a nice fat 2018 Queen that is laying for fun but they have still made the odd Queen cell every time i have inspected... i just keep destroying them and yesterday i stuck another brood box underneath the one they are in to see if that stops them.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

ok, thanks all

fair degree of consensus

will now wait 5 days and see...expect update on thur/fri

 

[Cuckmere couple]

update

checked last night having destroyed single charged queen cell on sunday

a few cups but none with eggs in them and no queen seen but eggs present

 

[Bakerbee]

Just keeping you on your toes then.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

interesting isnt it...a number of people said it could be a mistake (the q cell with egg in it)

when we found it, the queen plus a number of bees were on top of it...it was an obvious mound of bees on the frame

odd