Queen cells

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Antipodes

Queen Bee
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lutruwita
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Langstroth
This is a photo of queen cells from a friend's hive. The one second from left is opened and a queen has emerged. If these are supersedure cells, how often do members see swarms issue from these, presuming these are the only two cells and the colony is strong?
 

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This is a photo of queen cells from a friend's hive. The one second from left is opened and a queen has emerged. If these are supersedure cells, how often do members see swarms issue from these, presuming these are the only two cells and the colony is strong?
That looks like a really good laying pattern.
What was the other frames like brood pattern etc.

I've never known a superseded colony to swarm.
 
I would be looking for eggs and new brood, and be making up a couple of 3 frame nucs with them 2 unhached qcs if the queen mum was a good un!
Yeah...I got him to do that, but only one split, as the little cell had nothing in it actually. The colony had many frames with capped brood like that. I thought it looked like an excellent laying pattern too. From memory, there was one other opened cell on another frame. There was brood in all stages. I didn't have a lot of time, but it looked like a bit of back-filling going on too.
We were trying to work out if the nearby swarm was from this hive.
 
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My money would be on swarm cells ... with a brood pattern like that they would not normally be looking at supercedure ... it does not matter how many queen cells there are ... they can swarm on one or twenty ... but the fallacy prevails that only one cell is supercedure ... one cell and a visibly failing queen ... yes, the likelihood is supercedure but there are sometimed two or three QC's when they supercede and more ... bees are not stupid, if they know the colony is threatened by queen failure they will make an effort to survive and two QC's or three QC's have more chance than one.

There are more myths perpetuated about Queen cells than just about anything in beekeeping.
 
My money would be on swarm cells ... with a brood pattern like that they would not normally be looking at supercedure ... it does not matter how many queen cells there are ... they can swarm on one or twenty ... but the fallacy prevails that only one cell is supercedure ... one cell and a visibly failing queen ... yes, the likelihood is supercedure but there are sometimed two or three QC's when they supercede and more ... bees are not stupid, if they know the colony is threatened by queen failure they will make an effort to survive and two QC's or three QC's have more chance than one.

There are more myths perpetuated about Queen cells than just about anything in beekeeping.
:iagree: with pargyle.
I would be concerned that there would be a secondary swarm (cast).
Colony got split two opened qcs..
Was there any virgins running around?
On that frame I can see two capped qcs. Swarm has gone.
 
Unless it's a recently introduced queen which the old bees still don't want.
Yeah some times the buggers do that.
Even let the new queen start laying and then supersede her.
I suppose they know best after all or do they?!
Morning by the way;)
 
I doubt they know any better how to go about life than us humans, but they are the specialists in their own little world.



Best time of the day!
Damn write it is... The early bird catches the worm! Frosty morning to - 4 at present
 
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Yeah...I got him to do that, but only one split, as the little cell had nothing in it actually. The colony had many frames with capped brood like that. I thought it looked like an excellent laying pattern too. From memory, there was one other opened cell on another frame. There was brood in all stages. I didn't have a lot of time, but it looked like a bit of back-filling going on too.
We were trying to work out if the nearby swarm was from this hive.
Most likely.
 
I doubt they know any better how to go about life than us humans, but they are the specialists in their own little world.



Best time of the day!

Unless, like today, dog sick and pooing like a good un in the hall at 04:35
 
Unless, like today, dog sick and pooing like a good un in the hall at 04:35
Our Spaniel and 2 collies going mad at 4.30 am as a fox was prowling around... got up and made sure the electric fence around the ducks and chickens was working... NO I did not pee on it!!!

Had to have a lay in
Chons da
 
:iagree: with pargyle.
I would be concerned that there would be a secondary swarm (cast).
Colony got split two opened qcs..
Was there any virgins running around?
On that frame I can see two capped qcs. Swarm has gone.
Yes, I was concerned for him about a cast swarm possibility, hence the split. I couldn't see any queens at all, but it wasn't a thorough inspection by any stretch. Bees can swarm on any of the three types of queen cells of course.
 
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