Play cups and other stuff

[Essexgary]

Hi all

Did an inspection today. Total mite count after 2 weeks =100. Have fed a bit over the past couple of weeks also.. They seemed light at the time.

Plenty of brood mostly capped and some larvae.. Lots of stores now as you would expect so removed feed.

But saw a few empty play cups. Given their reputation as a swarmy bunch of mothers.. Should I be worried at this late stage? They swarmed at end of June and I had a new laying queen by end of July.. So she has not been in the game that long.

What do you think? I am ultra paranoid regards swarming because of my experience but I also don't want to do weekly inspections anymore.. They deserve to be left alone for a while given the incompetent year they have suffered with me!

Thanks as always.

 

[drstitson]

maybe HM is still not up to speed yet pheromone wise - where on the frames are the cups?

 

[Essexgary]

Random.. One on bottom one top left etc. All empty..

 

[Hivemaker.]

Play cups mean very little,some colonys will have large numbers of them at any time,they only mean something when they have a larvae in them,and even then not always,but of course we don't know that.