Could not find the queen, but queen cells in the hive

[john1]

Hi,
I could not find the queen bee for nearly 4 weeks.
I put a Queen Excluder in the hive 4 weeks before and I saw the queen in the brood when I put the Queen Excluder.
After that I opened the brood twice in the last 4 weeks and I could not find the queen.

I can see Queen Cells in the brood which are not capped and they are in larva.
I also noticed uncapped other larva in the brood - please see the attached image.

I could not find the queen. But, I don't know whether the queen is somewhere in the hive.
Should I allow the new queen to be born in the hive or should I destroy the queen cell?
Thanks

 

[Erichalfbee]

Is this the same colony we are talking about in this thread?

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/queen-cells-should-i-split.53429/#post-834708

 

[Ian123]

Are there any eggs?

 

[user 20297]

Are there any eggs?

9, AF8NM

 

[john1]

Is this the same colony we are talking about in this thread?

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/queen-cells-should-i-split.53429/#post-834708

Hi @Erichalfbee,
Yes it is the same colony.
Thanks

 

[john1]

Are there any eggs?

Could not find any egg, only larva.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Then they have swarmed

 

[john1]

But, I don't feel like the number of bees have come down.
So, should I leave one of the queen cells in the hive?
Thanks

 

[enrico]

Can you tell the difference between thirty thousand bees and fifty thousand bees? Yes. Leave one queen cell and leave them to it

 

[Erichalfbee]

But, I don't feel like the number of bees have come down.
So, should I leave one of the queen cells in the hive?
Thanks

Say half the colony has swarmed since you looked in. How much brood has emerged since you did?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

But, I don't feel like the number of bees have come down

you never will

 

[john1]

Say half the colony has swarmed since you looked in. How much brood has emerged since you did?

I am not sure how much has emerged. I need to check again. I will leave one queen cell and see what they are going to do.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I am not sure how much has emerged. I need to check again. I will leave one queen cell and see what they are going to do.

I am just trying to illustrate that the hive will look as busy to you as it was the last time you looked in. Two week inspections are not enough. You need to check weekly.
What will they do? Hopefully raise a new queen.

 

[john1]

Thank you all, I am raising a new queen in the hive.

I did not use Queen Excluder in this hive for over a year and the queen missed after I introduced the queen excluder. I saw the queen when I put the excluder.

Thanks

 

[blackcloud]

Just leave it alone now.