Help, I think I made a mistake, swarm issue

[Donna w]

Hi all,

I was inspecting my hive today and found at least 10 play cups that I removed.

I then found a cell at the bottom of the frame that I could not make up my mind if it was a drone cell hanging down or a small queen cell. It was completely capped.
I decided to open it and there was a lave inside.

My dilemma is that I only had one sealed cell and I destroyed it.
As I under stand it cant split because I don't have another queen cell.
I'm worried they will swarm and I'm unable to do a split.

Do I have any other options.

Unfortunately I don't have another hive due to the current covid situation.

I'm assuming I need to act fast

 

[Donna w]

I should have stated this is a a prolific hive which is growing fast. The frames are rammed with brood.

 

[Ian123]

Ok so you only found 1 possible cell and maybe not even that, your happy that they don’t have any viable cells so put your mind at rest and do the next inspection slightly earlier. If they are packed I hope you provided some more space. Why are you unable to split if they try again? Secondly you only need a nuc box for a decent swarm prevention/AS method.

 

[Donna w]

So two weeks ago I added a super due to exploding population. I then added an extra brood last week .

They are not using the new brood but the super is over half full and bees on every frame.

I thought as the cell was sealed they would swarm any way???

The queen is still in the hive.

I have a nuc ready if needed.

 

[Donna w]

 

[Ian123]

Bees can do anything and I’ve had them swarm with only the begging of qcells and having already been artificially swarmed, they don’t read the books. Chances are though you’ve bought yourself time till your next inspection and they will be trying again or you didn’t have an issue in the first place. If they are still avoiding the new brood simply lift a frame of sealed brood into the centre to encourage them up.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Hi all,

I was inspecting my hive today and found at least 10 play cups that I removed.

Play cups mean nothing, bees make them all the time - the only ones you have to worry about are the ones with eggs or larvae in, but they are not play cups, they're queen cells

I then found a cell at the bottom of the frame that I could not make up my mind if it was a drone cell hanging down or a small queen cell. It was completely capped.
/QUOTE]

Sounds like a drone cell to me not a QC

.
As I under stand it cant split because I don't have another queen cell.

you can, just take the queen away a few feet in a nuc, they'll make emergency queen cells in the mail hive, although I don't think, on the evidence you've supplied there's any emergency

So two weeks ago I added a super due to exploding population. I then added an extra brood last week .

They are not using the new brood but the super is over half full and bees on every frame.

you really need to put another super on, or at least ensure the new brood box is on top of the original one so they can draw that out and put stores in it.