Queen cups in 5 week old swarm hive

[RichardK]

During my inspection today I came across 3 queen cups / the start of. I didn't look to see if there was an egg of larva in any of them but will have a quick check tomorrow. I've no idea how old the queen is as it's a wild captured swarm. I'm not qualified to say whether the existing queen is laying in a nice pattern, but I can say that the colony is growing nicely with massive growth noticed at the inspection a week ago. The colony is filling 7 out of 10 frames, no super. Activity has increased in this and another hive over the last few days which I'm guessing is down to local clover and sweet chestnuts arriving.

What's people views on what I should do? Many thanks.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

queen cups don't equal queen cells, bees make them all the time just for practice.

 

[pargyle]

During my inspection today I came across 3 queen cups / the start of. I didn't look to see if there was an egg of larva in any of them but will have a quick check tomorrow. I've no idea how old the queen is as it's a wild captured swarm. I'm not qualified to say whether the existing queen is laying in a nice pattern, but I can say that the colony is growing nicely with massive growth noticed at the inspection a week ago. The colony is filling 7 out of 10 frames, no super. Activity has increased in this and another hive over the last few days which I'm guessing is down to local clover and sweet chestnuts arriving.

What's people views on what I should do? Many thanks.
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Unlikely to be swarm cells - just play cups by the looks of it ...although it's been an odd season for swarms !

Mark the frames where they are and just keep an eye on them - even if they do create queen cells the greater likelihood is that they will be supercedure as swarms do sometimes decide they need a new queen once they are established in their new location.

 

[Swarm]

Not much of a cell but one is sealed.

 

[Curly green finger's]

It's more than sealed looks like the cell on the left is capped and been chewed through the left side.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Many new beekeepers panic and cut out queencells to stop swarming (before they check that there are eggs or the old queen is still present). In this case, at this time of year, if the colony produces a queencell, it's most likely a supercedure queencell (probably just 2 or 3) so I would leave them be.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Many new beekeepers panic and cut out queencells to stop swarming (before they check that there are eggs or the old queen is still present). In this case, at this time of year, if the colony produces a queencell, it's most likely a supercedure queencell (probably just 2 or 3) so I would leave them be.

I've got three big colonys superseding on two cells I've left them.
I almost paniced but because I've been inspecting apiarys every 5 days on rotation, when the weather has allowed. it gives you more time to go back to look.