Dud queen cells?

[Bishunter]

Hey guys, I might have a big problem, and I am hoping someone can help!

I have been taking care of a hive that swarmed, I caught the swarm, requeened it, and the new swarm is doing fine. I checked the old hive, cut out all the queen cells cept one, and then checked it a week later....

The main colony now does not have any eggs or larva. There is a few capped drone cells, but no capped workers. There are around ten new sealed queen cells, but when I opened one sideways to check on it, there did not appear to be a queen inside. It was a three inch long queen cell, but there was a bee only about the size of a worker inside, with mostly empty space. The bee was adult, and not a pupa, and also appeared either dead or catatonic. (did it starve inside the cell?) I tried another queen cell, feeling worried, and found yet another small bee inside.

Did these bees lose their new queen on a mating flight, not have any small eggs to try again, and thus tried to make a queen out of a worker larva past the age of three days? Or are there laying workers that laid a drone egg, and then tried to raise it as a queen? Or am I a complete *****, and queens normally start out small until they mate and get filled with eggs?

I have ordered a new queen just in case, but she is not going to be shipped till after june fifth. I hope the bees will accept her after such a long time without a working queen. I also hope I am not wasting my money and the bees will just kill her. ;____;

Any info you older smarter beekeepers have on fake queen cells would be great! I don't want to lose this colony to queenlessness, it made so much honey last year.

 

[drstitson]

you've already had at least two virgins emerge (and presumably lost a cast or two).

workers frequently get sealed into QCs after emergence.

 

[meidel]

Hi well done on your successful efforts with the swarm.

regarding the main colony, would you be able to get a test frame with normal young brood even eggs to test the main colony - if they raise queen cells on it, you'll know, if they don't then they have a queen which you must find and get rid off before you put in your new;y ordered queen.

How long ago did the main colony swarm?

 

[Heather]

Point to ponder on that last post.. I have a colony- no evidence of a queen- behaviour is as queenless! No brood at all- but they have ignored a frame of eggs...Been there 1 week -zilch

 

[susbees]

There are around ten new sealed queen cells, but when I opened one sideways to check on it, there did not appear to be a queen inside. It was a three inch long queen cell, but there was a bee only about the size of a worker inside, with mostly empty space. The bee was adult, and not a pupa, and also appeared either dead or catatonic. (did it starve inside the cell?) I tried another queen cell, feeling worried, and found yet another small bee inside.

The main thing is...were they pointy end (abdomen ) down (worker)) or head end down (queen)?

 

[Bishunter]

Thank you all for your fast responses!

Meidal, the hive swarmed approximately a week ago. First time I checked it right after swarming it had several queen cells, and a lot of sealed worker brood but only a few larva...I heard that bees prevent the queen from laying before swarming so I wasn't to worried.

I could get a test frame of eggs...but am worried about opening up the hive again so soon. I really bothered em yesterday when I looked through the entire dang hive for egg evidence. ^^;

Susbees, one was head down, one was head up, both were teeny. Also there was no evidence inside the cells of the "webbing" queens make. Maybe you and Drstitson are right and some moronic workers got sealed inside...never seen that before, this is only my third year.

It sounds like perhaps there is a queen running around in there, but she is not laying yet, or she feels that there is little room. (lots of honey in broodnest,why they swarmed I am guessing) sounds like the best thing to do would be to check the hive again soon!

 

[REDWOOD]

You often find sealed in workers, a worker bee goes inside and another bee seals it up to protect a so called queen from other queens

 

[meidel]

wel if they only swarmed a week ago June 5th is not too long if it's a mated queen you're getting - she should lay straightaway - there are a number of ways to safely requeen.

The most important thing is to check there isn't a rogue queen in there as I have been caught out before. To test with a frame of young brood will save you the cost of your new queen as they will most certainly kill her if they already have a queen.

After that you can requeen using the method which best suits you and your bees depending on the size of your colony, amount of forage around you, etc..

 

[AndreaW]

Just to add that if you do have a virgin queen in there rather than a mated queen then it can take several weeks for her to show evidence of laying. As already mentioned you need to put a test frame in to check that you do not have a virgin queen already running around.