Egg in a play cell

[scuttlefish]

I found a newly laid (i.e. Standing upright) egg in a queen cup/play cell a couple of days ago, but no royal jelly. Despite my extensive (not) beekeeping experience I haven't seen that before. Is that (normally) just the queen laying in an open cell or is it an intended queen? For some reason I thought queen cells were charged with royal jelly before being occupied, but I could of course be wrong.

 

[oliver90owner]

You were/are wrong. It is normal if not perfectly so. Could be either, but you will find out next time you inspect, no doubt, in the next very few days.

 

[scuttlefish]

Thanks o90o - I have the frame marked & the egg should be hatched by tomorrow, I'll have another look then.