Did I see a queen?

[Jonnyl]

All advice gratefully received. I found queen cells at the beginning of May and moved my queen to a nuc. Shes doing great. Left the main hive alone until last Thursday and went in to see what was going on as I've been away for the weekend. No eggs, larva or queen but being my first full year I didnt really expect to find her. Still loaded with bees and calm enough. As insurance I placed a frame of BIAS to see if they would build cells. I checked today and found 3 uncapped cells, larva and royal jelly. Also another 4 cells, capped but when I opened them they were empty. I have left 1 charged and uncapped cell in the hive and closed it up thinking that cell with be my new queen. On closing the hive I'm certain I saw a flying queen buzzing the hive but as I'd disturbed the hive there were loads flying around and I lost her flight path. This goes against all I've read. It can't be a queen that I saw???? One more thing. My wife was in the garden only feet from the hive, behind me, and commented that she had seen a very long bee on my back shortly before I closed the hive. Now I'm flummoxed. If it was a queen should I just leave them alone or should I tear down the remaining cell. If I do that and it wasn't a queen then I've made them hopelessly q-. Help please. Cheers

 

[Poly Hive]

Have you got dates for when you moved the queen in early May?

PH

 

[Jonnyl]

May 2nd. Then I went back in on 7th and left one cell.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

May 7th - only 20 days ago - I would have been surprised to see eggs let alone brood TBH
assuming the QC had been capped on the morning of the 7th, earliest she would emerge would be the 15th - I wouldn't have touched the hive for at least four weeks after that.
Way too soon to be fiddling around the hive at this stage, you need to leave well alone for another couple of weeks and hope no damage done.

 

[Jonnyl]

But do I destroy the charged cell? Why are they building cells if there is a queen? I don't get that. It shouldn't happen, and I'm certain I saw a queen. Way too long and slender for a drone or a worker. I'm very inexperienced but you know that feeling when you see something and it hits you? My brain immediately screamed QUEEN. But all the books say it shouldn't be?

 

[Swarm]

Leave them for a couple of weeks, the bees will sort themselves

 

[Jonnyl]

Ok. I'll let them alone now. I'd rather they swarmed than become laying workers as honey is not the holy grail for me and it's all good experience whatever happens. Thanks for your help.

 

[beeno]

I told myself as a beginner that if I was not sure I saw a queen then I did not. You know when you see a queen. Stay with the QCs they have built as that makes sense. Even as a beginner I always marked the frame/s they were on to check that they had emerged as they can be duff.

 

[Jonnyl]

I have marked the frame and will now let wherever will be. I know it's not an exact science and things often go wrong but 4 sealed with nothing inside? Bizarre. However I'm prepared to let them do as they do and simply monitor and hopefully learn from it. Thanks for your thoughts. Appreciated