is this a queen cell

[nubee 61]

Hi i will just explain events from the past few weeks,
on my first inspection about 6/7 weeks ago i found my bees bursting at the seems in their standard national BB so decided to convert to a 14x12 BB which i put on about 3 weeks ago(we had a bit of a good spell of weather that as we know didn,t last).Then the sun came out here last sunday so had a quick look in the 14x12 ware i found the queen wondering around on about 5 partly drawn out frames so decided to trap her up there with a QE.
Sun out again today so had another quick look found eggs and small grubs in the 14x12 but not much stores.then as no wind and the sun still out had a look in the other BB mainly to check on stores, when i saw these different cells, as i have never seen a Q cell before wondered if it was the beginnings of one, Also not that much stores, i have saved a super from last year with about 2 kg of honey in that i will put on tomorrow or would it be better to feed them some fondant?
if it is a QC what should i do
set up is old BB on bottom, QE, small frame to make entrance below 14x12,crown board, roof
many thanks in advance

 

[VEG]

Yes it is, if you look at the picture you can see the bed of royal jelly.

 

[Polyanwood]

Craig is right as usual. It is charged, so if you do nothing they will swarm. I think an artificial swarm is the easiest thing to do. I'd get on with it. They ususally swarm when the cell is sealed on day 8/9, so you haven't got long

 

[REDWOOD]

but they are half built and will be sealed in 5 days at the latest and then swarmed, weather permitting

 

[MuswellMetro]

so you have one charged queen cell with royal jelly and one uncharged play cup

both queen cell and play cup have white flecks of new wax, which means the bees are working on them, by now i expect the play cup is also charged as it was being re-worked by the bees

i don't worry about old dry play cups but if they have white flecks of new wax on them I take more interest next inspection

 

[sandysman]

Great pics

with all the above but would also say "Great pics"

Andy

 

[Polyanwood]

My best guess is that they will try to swarm in about 3 days.

 

[MJBee]

61 - you are half way through an artificial swarm already Left alone they will swarm BUT:-

If you move the National brood box which contains the queen cell to one side and then place the 14 x 12 on a new floor on the original site. Any flying bees in the National will join the 14 x 12. In 7 days reduce the queen cells to the one in the picture and move the National to the other side of the 14 x 12 to further bleed off the foragers, then when the virgin queen emerges she will (sorry) should not swarm as there will not be enough flying bees.

If you do not want to increase wait until the virgin has mated and completed a couple of brood cycles. assess her daughters for temper and HRH for laying and brood pattern then decide which queen (old or new) you are go to keep. squish the other and unite both.

 

[gavin]

i don't worry about old dry play cups but if they have white flecks of new wax on them I take more interest next inspection

Innit great when you read little snippets like that?! I'll keep a closer eye on mine now.

And yes, great pics.

G.

 

[drstitson]

Surely these are supercedure cells due to the trapping of the queen downstairs. (2 cells only and on upper, face of comb).

So no swarming likely IMHO.

However i'd take the chance to make a nuc once sealed.

 

[nubee 61]

Thanks MJBee i was hoping that some one would say that as i was a bit worried that i had messed things up by already having the queen settled in a new brood box.

 

[MJBee]

They may well be supercedure cells Doc but when you want a colony to raise queens by supercedure you usually separate the brood boxes with two supers and a Qx. In this case the queen is only a QX away from the queen cells so her pheremones will be strong in both boxes so I would not take the chance. I would separate the two brood boxes.

 

[RoofTops]

It is also possible the bees in the old box below felt isolated from the queen as soon as the excluder was inserted.

Bees + eggs or very young larva + feeling they have no queen or a poor one = queen cells.

 

[drstitson]

"They may well be supercedure cells Doc but when you want a colony to raise queens by supercedure you usually separate the brood boxes with two supers and a Qx"

That's the belt and braces approach where you want definite cells raised. two boxes and just a QE (or snelgrove board!) are enough in many cases as RT says. AFAIK it can even happen without the QE when you add a new brood box.