Help please - discovered a single QC

[shudderdun]

I have a colony, with a 2018 Queen, she is laying well with brood and eggs in all stages and plenty of room for her to continue laying, she is moving around the frames well, no signs of damage. The colony has two supers on, both have some capped frames and others have lots of nectar in.
On inspection today I discovered a single QC on the bottom of a centre frame with laver in, I would guess about two days left before it is sealed.
Do I do an AS, take the QC down, or just leave things as they are, I am going away for five days in two days time, today is Sunday, I am going away Tuesday evening.
Many Thanks.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

For one thing, I think you have left putting on another super a bit late. You can conduct the ostrich maneouvre (take down said QC and hope for the best) assume superedure and hope for the best (the location of the QC has no correlation to it being either supersedure or swarming) or, belt and braces, suspect supersedure, take out queen on a frame of brood and put into a nuc with a frame of emerging bees, foundation and sufficient stores - this way you have avoided swarming if it is a swarming attempt and if they are superseding, the bees will bring on a ne queen from the QC in the full hive and superesede the queen in the nuc leaving you a new queen in both hive and nuc for overwintering

 

[GuyNir]

I have a colony, with a 2018 Queen, she is laying well with brood and eggs in all stages and plenty of room for her to continue laying, she is moving around the frames well, no signs of damage. The colony has two supers on, both have some capped frames and others have lots of nectar in.
On inspection today I discovered a single QC on the bottom of a centre frame with laver in, I would guess about two days left before it is sealed.
Do I do an AS, take the QC down, or just leave things as they are, I am going away for five days in two days time, today is Sunday, I am going away Tuesday evening.
Many Thanks.

Sounds like supersedure cell. Quite common in late summer. Normally there’s no brood break. Supersedure cells are planned, normally well cared for.
I’d leave them to it, unless you have other plans (splits etc’...)

 

[Swarm]

For one thing, I think you have left putting on another super a bit late. You can conduct the ostrich maneouvre (take down said QC and hope for the best) assume superedure and hope for the best (the location of the QC has no correlation to it being either supersedure or swarming) or, belt and braces, suspect supersedure, take out queen on a frame of brood and put into a nuc with a frame of emerging bees, foundation and sufficient stores - this way you have avoided swarming if it is a swarming attempt and if they are superseding, the bees will bring on a ne queen from the QC in the full hive and superesede the queen in the nuc leaving you a new queen in both hive and nuc for overwintering

 

[shudderdun]

Thank you for your much appreciated advice, you have given me some useful options, I will make my decision tomorrow.
Haha, on top of all that a swarm arrived in my bait box today, defiantly not from one of mine !!!

 

[Hebeegeebee]

If you remove the queen, they you will get emergency queencells and unless you are there to deal with them, the 'supercedure' queen will swarm out and leave the emergency ones. Not what you are planning for I guess.
(This is the time of year for supercedure by the way, so I might be inclined to leave them to it).

One option is to make a nuc up with the supercedure q/c on it's frame with a few bees. You'll get a new queen most likely and chances are the colony will produce another supercedure queencell soon.

 

[XYZ]

If you remove the queen, they you will get emergency queencells and unless you are there to deal with them, the 'supercedure' queen will swarm out and leave the emergency ones. Not what you are planning for I guess.
(This is the time of year for supercedure by the way, so I might be inclined to leave them to it).

One option is to make a nuc up with the supercedure q/c on it's frame with a few bees. You'll get a new queen most likely and chances are the colony will produce another supercedure queencell soon.

This happened to me a couple of weeks back. I didn't take down the emergency QCs after a virgin had emerged (heard her piping). Then my neighbours say there was a swarm.

Sharp learned my lesson.

 

[philipm]

Think I would take Jenks advice.At least you will be assured of having one viable queen if they don't succeed in getting a new mated queen.

 

[beeno]

If you remove the queen, they you will get emergency queencells and unless you are there to deal with them, the 'supercedure' queen will swarm out and leave the emergency ones. Not what you are planning for I guess.
(This is the time of year for supercedure by the way, so I might be inclined to leave them to it).

One option is to make a nuc up with the supercedure q/c on it's frame with a few bees. You'll get a new queen most likely and chances are the colony will produce another supercedure queencell soon.

That's what I did last year. She never did make another supersedure cell and became a drone layer in September. Reunited the supersedure Q with the colony. Upside I did not lose any bees.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

If you remove the queen, they you will get emergency queencells.

Then, you go in a wee while after removing her and reduce them down to the original supersedure cell.
I failed to mention that but, as we are not in the beginners section I think I can be excused my omission

 

[GuyNir]

Then, you go in a wee while after removing her and reduce them down to the original supersedure cell.
I failed to mention that but, as we are not in the beginners section I think I can be excused my omission

Quite basic

 

[Walrus]

Let's try to be nice

 

[Eyeman]

Inspections at this time of the year involve a tilt and smoke of the top box on doubles or a look at 2 or 3 central frames in singles. Any supersedure is evident by an unmarked queen come the last full inspection of the year.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Then, you go in a wee while after removing her and reduce them down to the original supersedure cell.
I failed to mention that but, as we are not in the beginners section I think I can be excused my omission

Excuse accepted! As the OP is going to be away - and you never know what duties you need to perform when you get back - the opportunity might be missed to check through the hive. Removal of a nice supercedure q/c is the easy option and doesn't have the potential to lose 1/2 the bees if an emergency q/c is missed. We've all done that!

 

[shudderdun]

Don't quite know what is going on here, went back late morning yesterday to the coloney in question armed with a plan, pulled the marked frame with the QC on, (I may have slightly over estimated its age) however, the same cell was dry, all the royal jelly had been removed ? I then did a further full inspection, I did not see Q (she does like to hide) but discovers lots of freshly layer eggs ! I closed the hive up somewhat baffled but slightly relived.
The only thing different I did was listen to Jenks advice on space and possibly being late adding supers, so the previous day prior to my inspection I did add a super !
Now in beautiful sunny North Wales confused but temporarily relived, will inspect on my return home.
Many thanks for your posts !

 

[GuyNir]

Don't quite know what is going on here, went back late morning yesterday to the coloney in question armed with a plan, pulled the marked frame with the QC on, (I may have slightly over estimated its age) however, the same cell was dry, all the royal jelly had been removed ? I then did a further full inspection, I did not see Q (she does like to hide) but discovers lots of freshly layer eggs ! I closed the hive up somewhat baffled but slightly relived.
The only thing different I did was listen to Jenks advice on space and possibly being late adding supers, so the previous day prior to my inspection I did add a super !
Now in beautiful sunny North Wales confused but temporarily relived, will inspect on my return home.
Many thanks for your posts !

Seems like they changed their mind. Seen this before.

 

[beeno]

Lucky! Don't forget that you are still on red alert for when you come back though! Have a good time.