Queen cells ,

[Kennethclaw]

I cought a swarm 4 weeks ago in a nuc. Moved to a hive after a week as they had drawn out 6 frames. Last week when I checked the hive there were 9 queen cells in it . Broke them down to one but when I checked again today 4 more cells in it.Broke it down to one again today and I know they won't make any more queen cells as there is no eggs in hive. Just wondering Is this a normal case?

 

[pargyle]

I cought a swarm 4 weeks ago in a nuc. Moved to a hive after a week as they had drawn out 6 frames. Last week when I checked the hive there were 9 queen cells in it . Broke them down to one but when I checked again today 4 more cells in it.Broke it down to one again today and I know they won't make any more queen cells as there is no eggs in hive. Just wondering Is this a normal case?

This year ... lots of abnormal things going on with nucs and swarming .... usually - not so normal. There's a few recent threads about it ...

 

[Boston Bees]

I cought a swarm 4 weeks ago in a nuc. Moved to a hive after a week as they had drawn out 6 frames. Last week when I checked the hive there were 9 queen cells in it . Broke them down to one but when I checked again today 4 more cells in it.Broke it down to one again today and I know they won't make any more queen cells as there is no eggs in hive. Just wondering Is this a normal case?

So, they have definitely swarmed? Queen gone?

 

[pargyle]

So, they have definitely swarmed? Queen gone?

Seems likely to me as there are no new eggs .... but it was odd that they made 4 more queen cells ... and would have thrown casts if the OP had not knocked down all bar one. It's a much reduced colony now ? It has been an odd year - who knows what they are thinking of ?

 

[Sutty]

Maybe they were trying to supercede the old queen as failing?
Did they look like emergency cells or normal swarm cells?

 

[Hebeegeebee]

It would be good to know the timings of what happened, otherwise it's guesswork.

 

[ericbeaumont]

trying to supercede the old queen as failing?

13 QCs is far too many for supersedure, generally regarded as 1-3.

there were 9 queen cells in it . Broke them down to one but when I checked again today 4 more cells

Emergency cells or swarm cells? If EQCs, no need to reduce numbers.

 

[Boston Bees]

Emergency cells or swarm cells? If EQCs, no need to reduce numbers.

Not so sure about that.

If the queen has gone, how could they make anything other than cells which appear to be "emergency"?

They will always make more swarm cells if they can, after you reduce them to one. Doesn't mean those are "emergency" rather than "swarm" cells. And surely doesn't mean that they won't continue to throw casts?

 

[user 20297]

13 QCs is far too many for supersedure, generally regarded as 1-3.


Emergency cells or swarm cells? If EQCs, no need to reduce numbers.

That's what I had read; but I was later advised quite strongly that thinning out EQC's is necessary to avoid swarms. This was after my colony swarmed!

 

[ericbeaumont]

thinning out EQC's is necessary to avoid swarms. This was after my colony swarmed!

Yes, they swarmed on EQCs because they were in swarm mode. If in emergency mode, no need to thin as the intention is to respond to the absence of the queen.

Until Ken describes or photographs the QCs, who knows what they were?

 

[user 20297]

If in emergency mode, no need to thin as the intention is to respond to the absence of the queen.

...that's where I was diverting the subject; mine were in emergency mode but still swarmed.