Demaree hatched? QCs in upper box

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Joined
Jun 17, 2022
Messages
185
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Location
Essex, UK
Number of Hives
10
Good afternoon, I have a colony set up as a Demaree with 2 supers between and another on top.
I inspected and moved a frame of mostly sealed worker brood up from the bottom box.
I checked back after 7 days to find what looked like 5 hatched QCs (impossible I know) and one capped with a larva in it. I removed them all because they were all on the face of the comb and emergency cell by the looks.
When I want a new queen I'll use a frame of eggs.
My question is, would they have swarmed with multiple cells there if I'd left them to it or can I relax and continue with my plan to make a queen next week when Ive built a Demaree board?
 
Can you clarify "hatched"? Do you mean eggs hatched and larvae developing, or do you mean queen cells have emerged as adults, so either virgin(s) present or swarmed?
 
Can you clarify "hatched"? Do you mean eggs hatched and larvae developing, or do you mean queen cells have emerged as adults, so either virgin(s) present or swarmed?
Empty swarm cells with a brown ring around the top opening and nothing inside.
I can't see how they could have emerged though as I moved that particular frame up ..15 days prior and it had no QCs on it just mostly capped worker brood and some older larvae.
DOH! 🤦‍♂️
Therein lies my mistake I think.
I must have missed that side of that frame last inspection and they've made the QCs.
I'm just hoping my queen in the bottom box will be there as I found bias including eggs but didn't see her.
probably not, but you would have ended up with a load of virgins in the top box with no way of escape
There's an upper entrance so hopefully one of them will go get mated and return.
I'll keep the Demaree rolling and be more careful with my inspections.
The question now is should I try moving a frame of eggs up to make a queen or leave it a week or two to see if I have a mated virgin start laying?
When do others take down / split the Demaree?
 

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