Queen cell - unsure as to next action

[boywonder]

I'm posting on the beginners forum partly as I feel like I should know instinctively what's happened, and what to do ... but this game is a bit like snakes and ladders, and I've just hit a snake.

Photo to follow in a few minutes, when I get on my phone, but, essentially:
- this is my weakest hive this year. It has a marked 2019 Queen, and appears disease free, but has not really taken off. The brood pattern is very spotty
- There is BIAS (somewhat patchily) on about 5 of the frames. I say 'patchily', but it is fair to add that there seems like there is a break in the brood nest really (brood/gap/brood)

I just have it marked down as a dodgy hive.

It was last inspected 9 days ago (I know!), and there were no charged Queen cells seen (just some play-cups - taken down). I was especially keen to make sure I inspected today, especially given the up-tick in weather; likely to trigger any deferred 'events'.

So, today I went in, saw the marked Queen early doors (frame 2 - YAY!), and continued with my inspection....
... Only to find two sealed QCs on the lower edges of the frames (NOT YAY!)... and THEN ...
... a cluster of QCs in the centre of one frame. One of these is the longest QC I think I have ever seen. Furthermore, it seems pretty clear that HM has emerged (the other three are sealed). Would you agree ?

So, though I could not see a second Queen walking round the frames (assuming there is one in there, of course), the fact that the crappy old Queen is still in the hive leads me to think that this may not be a swarming event (??), but a supersedure in progress ... Hope so.

The position of the four cells might indicate this; though the other two (no pic, sorry) look to me like classic swarm cells.

In that case, I was kind-of reluctant to take down the other cells, as I feel that they should just sort themselves out (well, clearly, they will anyway - either way). I can't help but feel though, that I should have been 'belt and braces' and taken all the sealed QCs down this time.

Clearly, with a laying Queen (just), they still have plently of capacity to manufacture more new QCs if they felt they needed it.

Anyway, I'm just confused (can you tell ??)... and I have not even been drinking !

Any insights very much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[boywonder]

Photo:

Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk

 

[jeff33]

Just leave them to it, don't take down any cells. It's a weak hive, you are not going to get anything out of them. I wouldn't open it for 2-3 weeks so they get themselves sorted... Once you make sure they are unlikely to starve.