Is it too late for supersedure

[Xander]

Good morning, I am new to beekeeping and only got my first colony (established in a hive) last month.
I have done 3 weekly inspections since I obtained them.
Last week I found a couple of queen cups then yesterday I also found what looked like a swarm cell but in a hole in the middle of the frame.
I saw the queen and plenty of larvae but also a few cells with chalk brood.
I removed the queen cell thinking it was a swarm cell and being so late I hoped the population would naturally decrease enough to stop swarming.
On further reading I'm now worried it was a supersedure cell and I've mucked up.
My mentor is away so I can't get any experienced eyes on the hive until the end of next week.
I am in South Shropshire.

 

[Murox]

Well all you can really do now is have another look for swarm/supersedure cells in a day or three (you said there were larvae, what about eggs?) then you will have a clue to go on. ( By the way tearing down swarm cells will not prevent swarming, they will rebuild new ones, once they have charged the cell they will swarm.)

 

[Erichalfbee]

If it was a supersedure cell they will make another

 

[Xander]

Thank you for your help, I'll take a look in a few days and see what they're up to. I'll also try to get a photo of whatever's going on.

 

[Xander]

I've just been into the hive, queen is still running around and there is 1full frame of emerging brood, 1frame of capped, open brood and eggs I think (my eyesight isn't the best and I couldn't get my phone to take a picture with gloves on)
There were stores around the top of this frame and the rest of the frames are loaded with stores apart from one which is drawn but not yet filled. The fresh capped brood occupy only a 4" diameter circle with larvae, eggs, empty cells and stores around. Is this enough or is my queen slowing down too much?
Is it possible they were going to swarm but the change in weather has changed their mind?
I'm on langstroth.
No more swarm / supersedure cells although I did find a dead queen grub where I tore down the swarm cell last week (removed it properly this time).
The chalk brood which was more prevalent than I'd like last time 10+ mummies is almost gone with only 2 or 3 mummies now.
I started treatment with apilife last week as I'm trying to get them into the best health to get through winter. I read it can help with chalk brood anybody else find this?
Sorry in advance for the 20 questions, this beekeeping mullarky is much more involved than I expected.

 

[pargyle]

You'd better hope for the best ... tearing down queen cells is rarely a good idea - more so when there is only one. The reality is that it is getting late in the season for rearing a new queen - by the time they have built another one and she has emerged ready to mate you are going to be into October and where you are in Shropshire the weather could be inclement and there will be a lot fewer drones about to get a new queen mated.

It does not sound like a lot of brood from your existing queen when you want a good few winter bees to take the colony through to spring ... you can't do much about it now except wait and see. Check again in a few days but there's really nothing you can do at this stage. Make sure that they are well insulated, well fed over the next few weeks - you are already treating for varroa so that's good. Just let them get on with it ... if the queen is a dud you may struggle to get the colony through winter, if she's just having a rest and the queen cell was a false alarm you may be in for a surprise. If it looks like she is a dud there may still be a few queens around for sale or someone condensing hives down for the winter may have a queen spare. You could put a wanted ad on the forum.

It's a steep learning curve keeping bees, we've all done knee jerk reactions at some point in our beekeeping and inevitably regret it so don't beat yourself up too much. Mark it up to experience and make an offering to the bee gods so they take pity on you ....

 

[Xander]

That sounds a little ominous oh heck.
Is it too late to nuc the queen I have with her frame of brood and some stores and order a mated queen asap.
I can still get one until 22nd so is it worth a punt?
If it all goes pear shaped and my queen stops laying could I euthanise her then try to reunite the colonies before winter?
There isn't much if any wasp problem here as Ive trapped loads and there are no more to be seen the last week or so, so I'm not concerned about predation just there being enough bees for the winter.

 

[Erichalfbee]

1full frame of emerging brood, 1frame of capped, open brood and eggs

So two frames of brood plus that small circle?
Leave them to get in with it. Make sure you have insulation on top.

 

[Xander]

Ok, I'll leave well alone. I guess it's a newbees urge to try to do too much and bugger things up that bees have been doing perfectly fine for millennia.
I'll pop a patty of feed on once the apilife has been completed,that'll be around 10th October and insulate the hive well.
Hopefully I'll still have a colony come spring.

 

[pargyle]

Ok, I'll leave well alone. I guess it's a newbees urge to try to do too much and bugger things up that bees have been doing perfectly fine for millennia.
I'll pop a patty of feed on once the apilife has been completed,that'll be around 10th October and insulate the hive well.
Hopefully I'll still have a colony come spring.

They will need 2:1 syrup (if you can be bothered to mix it up) or Invertbee if you can't. As Dani says - insulation on top and hope for the best ... you sometimes have to cut your losses - and hope for the best ... a new queen £40 could be a waste of money if there are not enough bees to support the brood she needs to lay. They may yet surprise you ... positive vibes, Go an talk to them, tell them you care about them and to get on with it ... whatever IT is !!

 

[Xander]

Haha, thanks for the advice. I'll spend some quality time with them tomorrow.