Queen cells with only royal jelly?

[robmort]

One hive I inspected today had many small queen cells, almost like play cups, but contained royal jelly only and no larvae that I could find. Never seen this before: has anyone else seen this? There were 2 or 3 more developed queen cells with larvae.

 

[Antipodes]

One hive I inspected today had many small queen cells, almost like play cups, but contained royal jelly only and no larvae that I could find. Never seen this before: has anyone else seen this? There were 2 or 3 more developed queen cells with larvae.

I've seen a small amount of a what looks like water residue, but not what you'd call royal jelly.

 

[Finman]

They are going to swarm. Stop wondering and make a artificial swarm.

 

[robmort]

They are going to swarm. Stop wondering and make a artificial swarm.

That wasn't the question.

 

[robmort]

I've seen a small amount of a what looks like water residue, but not what you'd call royal jelly.

Thought so, not many people have seen this it seems.

 

[Boston Bees]

Thought so, not many people have seen this it seems.

When you say "no larvae that I could find", did you stir it around? Are you sure it wasn't just nestling under the royal jelly?

 

[Finman]

If the queen cell is without a larva, bees will eate the jelly away. Such exists quite often.

 

[plain_hunt]

One hive I inspected today had many small queen cells, almost like play cups, but contained royal jelly only and no larvae that I could find. Never seen this before: has anyone else seen this? There were 2 or 3 more developed queen cells with larvae.

I’ve seen cells with what I thought was just Royal jelly in, but a couple of days later the larva, which was too small for me to see the first time, had grown enough to see easily. I’m sure there will be a larva there, but it will be small - tiny. Get a magnifying glass and have a good look, when the larva are that young, it needs a good look!
And get ready for swarm control.

 

[robmort]

When you say "no larvae that I could find", did you stir it around? Are you sure it wasn't just nestling under the royal jelly?

Yes stirred them around quite a bit, so larvae must have been very small if there. Difficult to destroy when it's not visible, so I suppose I just have to empty the contents?

 

[Boston Bees]

Yes stirred them around quite a bit, so larvae must have been very small if there. Difficult to destroy when it's not visible, so I suppose I just have to empty the contents?

If you want to destroy a queen cell it is never necessary to fish around for the actual larva. Just squash the wax.

 

[Polyanwood]

Young larvae are translucent and tiny. They are very difficult to see. They should be on the surface as otherwise they drown. It is enough to see the royal jelly to know they want to swarm.

 

[robmort]

I'd already split them, the problem is being sure to destroy surplus lavae you can't see.

 

[Boston Bees]

I'd already split them, the problem is being sure to destroy surplus lavae you can't see.

As mentioned, just squash the wall of the queen cell - the bees will clear it out after that. You don't need to see a larvae, only a queen cell

 

[Dodge]

Tbh I tend to notice eggs in play cups first the a few weeks later larvae bedded in jelly.

 

[Finman]

Tbh I tend to notice eggs in play cups first the a few weeks later larvae bedded in jelly.

Never seen that...

Few weeks later? The queen brood grows 2 weeks.

 

[Dodge]

Never seen that...

Few weeks later? The queen brood grows 2 weeks.

It's as if some bees move eggs into play cups or HRH lays in the play cup, other bees then make the decision not to progress and must dispose of the egg. It goes on for a few weeks then they actually bed an egg down with royal jelly.

 

[Finman]

It's as if some bees move eggs into play cups or HRH lays in the play cup, other bees then make the decision not to progress and must dispose of the egg. It goes on for a few weeks then they actually bed an egg down with royal jelly.

Such story I do not believe.

It goes that way that the colony gets a swarming fever. The queen lays into cups and bees feed the larvae.

Never hear the workers move eggs to play cups. It should be then quite a lot queen cells above the excluder, and such does not happen.

 

[Boston Bees]

Such story I do not believe.

It goes that way that the colony gets a swarming fever. The queen lays into cups and bees feed the larvae.

Never hear the workers move eggs to play cups. It should be then quite a lot queen cells above the excluder, and such does not happen.

Clearly, sometimes the queen lays eggs in queen cups and the workers then remove them, I guess because they decide the time isn't right.

But yes, I agree that workers probably don't move eggs into play cups.

 

[Finman]

Clearly, sometimes the queen lays eggs in queen cups and the workers then remove them, I guess because they decide the time isn't right.

But yes, I agree that workers probably don't move eggs into play cups.

In general, when I inspect swarming in every week in hives, and I see eggs in play cups, I usually see in next inspection queen cells. It is rare the colony changes its mind.

When you see eggs in play cups, it is better to make an AS.

 

[Finman]

Original question: only royal jelly in the queen cell... during 60 years I have not met such thing. If it is, bees are just eating away the jelly.

Bees are so charp, that if you craft 2 larvae into one cell, bees take another away in every case.

Case closed at least to me.