Queen cell found - what to do?

[B+.]

All I am saying is lets wait to hear from the OP before screaming for the queen to be replaced. If there is something wrong with the queen, I'll happily change position but I'll wait for information to support that first

 

[Thymallus]

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Nothing wrong, but bees want to get ridd of it. The Result is a drone layer.

Take or leave it. Your hive.

Generally this is correct. But....Just checked my records from last year and had something similar happen when I moved bees to the heather last year (I must be a clumsy mover). Found a single supercedure cell (similar to this year, which is what jogged my memory) which I destroyed as queen appeared to be laying well.
It was the right decision, as she is back on the heather again this year. Her daughters are just starting to fill the 5th super.
If the bees did know best then I've missed out on one hell of a daughter.......

 

[mbc]

All I am saying is lets wait to hear from the OP before screaming for the queen to be replaced.

Leaving a supercedur cell and the old queen is hardly screaming for the queen to be replaced, rather it's letting nature take its course.

 

[Finman]

Leaving a supercedur cell and the old queen is hardly screaming for the queen to be replaced, rather it's letting nature take its course.

In September!

Not in my yards. Nature takes what it takes but I will repair Nature faults. That is why I keep spare queens and spare hives.
.

 

[Hivemaker.]

All I am saying is lets wait to hear from the OP

Welshgirl...who appears to be a male.

 

[Thymallus]

Welshgirl...who appears to be a male.

Queen cell mistaken for a drone cell?

 

[welshgirl]

Having read all of your posts (thanks for the effort) I hope the following might be helpful.


A newbee I may be, but I'm confident I can tell the difference between a drone cell and a queen cell with larva in it

I bought the queen as part of a nuc this year and have kept it in its original position. I had one queen cell (with larvae) in early july which i got rid of and added an extra super as everything else seemed ok apart from a lower than expected amount of eggs/larvae. On the next week's inspection there were no further qc and the queen was back to her normal level of laying.

Back to the current situation, there's plenty of stores and sufficient space but lower amount of eggs/larvae than I expected (but what do I know).

ps After discussing the matter with my husband, I'm definitely female!
(and have updated my profile)

 

[B+.]

there's plenty of stores and sufficient space but lower amount of eggs/larvae than I expected (but what do I know).

Could you give us an idea of how much brood you saw and in what stage of development (i.e. is there worker brood in all stages on several frames?). Also is the laying pattern normal (i.e. not full of drones)?
I think this would satisfy everyone that the queen is worth keeping
It occurs to me that the queen may be older than you think...is she marked with a colour?

 

[welshgirl]

Could you give us an idea of how much brood you saw and in what stage of development (i.e. is there worker brood in all stages on several frames?). Also is the laying pattern normal (i.e. not full of drones)?
I think this would satisfy everyone that the queen is worth keeping
It occurs to me that the queen may be older than you think...is she marked with a colour?

There were only eggs/larvae on 2 frames - there may be more but i was rather distracted by the qc. The pattern was normal (no different from previously) larvae adjacent to capped brood eggs next to larvae. There's capped brood on 5 frames. There hasn't been a change in the amount of drone cells all summer 15%ish. The q is this year - blue marked - from a local association member (who I trust).

 

[B+.]

eggs/larvae on 2 frames ... larvae adjacent to capped brood eggs next to larvae. There's capped brood on 5 frames. drone cells 15%ish. The q is this year - blue marked - from a local association member (who I trust).

This sounds perfectly ok to me. I'd remove the cell

 

[Alabamaeee]

One other thought - It may be this years Queen and laying OK but she could be injured or have another problem that the bees know about and we don't.

I'd vote for taking the old Q away and banking her then see what happens with the prospective new Q.

 

[Mrs Shoot]

Have also got a hive that is superseding their queen (one qc). They're a swarm collected in early May, built up quickly made swarm cells in late June. Did an AS and all good since. Have no idea how old the queen is that came with the swarm, at least a year I would think. She is laying well, but does have a dent on her back, she had this when I got the swarm, so not effecting her. I'm leaving them to it as they know better than me.

 

[Finman]

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I repeat my knowledge about thing: The hive has tried to replace the Queen allready twice. Next mating weathers will be in May 2016. When it makes a new Queen during Winter, then it will have a drone layer.

When I change the Queen, laying pattern is seldom a reason. This year I changed over half of my Queens, because all hives swarm badly. They have too much Carniolan blood.

When I have now those Carniolan & Italian mongrels, the biggest laying pattern will swarm first. IT must go first too.

. Nature takes its course, but so do I.

 

[Eyeman]

I regularly get supercedure cells when new queens are introduced into strong colonies, especially when they come straight from a mating nuc- the bees seem to sence her laying rate hasn't got up to speed straight out of the mating nuc.
In spring and summer I would remove these queen cells and wait watch and see what happens. At this time of year, when I'm carrying out my final full inspection before winter, removing a supercedure cells is much too risky, as has already been said if they produce another supercedure cell you've got a mating problem this late in the season.
Just finishing my end of season inspection and 3 out of the 16 full size colonies have supercedure cells. All have been left alone and all will be treated with Apiguard once the supers come off.