Queen cups

[blackcavebees]

Did inspection on Sat on main hive. 4 queen cups, one empty and small I assume a play cell you guys talk about. But got worried when I found 3 sealed ones. Forum usually says when sealed the swarm is away - all bees there, I think. Plenty of space and supers on too.

Broke them off with my hive tool and stuck them in my pocket to look at later. All 3 had a bee in them but looked too small for a queen. At least 2 of them were facing head in. All were "crispy", ie not fresh

Am I barking up the wrong tree here but, with all this bad weather we're having are there practical jokers in hive that will seal a cleaner in the QC for a prank? Or any ideas?

 

[broandy]

Is the Queen still in the hive you never said

 

[blackcavebees]

Didn't see queen but loads bees, and Bias so 99% sure Q+

 

[Poly Hive]

BIAS is no indicator of a recently left swarm, the Q is did you see fresh eggs?

And no they do not joke.

A play cup is an empty cup.

A charged cup is an incipient cell.

A sealed cell is NOT repeat NOT a sign the swarm has gone it is a sign that they MAY have gone or be about to.

I hope that clarifies that.

PH

 

[itma]

To clarify PH's clarification.

A "play cup" is just shaped wax, with or (usually) without an egg in it.

A "charged queen cell" has a larva and a puddle of wet 'royal jelly'.

You will not help your understanding of the important distinction if you think of 'queen cups' - you'll just confuse yourself.




After the queen cell has been capped, and later uncapped so the queen can emerge, worker bees clean out the cell (they would demolish it eventually).
But sometimes a cleaning worker does get sealed in by her fellow workers - and she would be head-in.
Maybe "having a larf", but something that does happen.

You may have a swarm. Or have had one already.
Or you might be in mid-supercedure.

I think it sounds as though you may have had a virgin or two emerge.

I'd suggest that you should check again in between 3 days and a week's time (at the most) for
1/ eggs (so someone laying in the last 3 days) and
2/ charged queen cells (indicating they are still trying to do something)

 

[Hebeegeebee]

It's easy to think that a swarm hasn't issued when it has gone.
Sometimes a worker crawls into a used queencell and is sealed inside. If you have eggs in the hive you have a queen or you have had a queen in the past 3 days. You can tell by the age of the brood when the queen stopped laying.

 

[blackcavebees]

Thanks Poly, itma and heebeegbee

Getting a good education. It was more that the cells were sealed and contents were dry and crispy. So wasn't sure if it was something funny going on. Tried to look again today but got chased off, then thunder came and heavy heavy rain again - what a great summer.

Thanks guys

 

[REDWOOD]

Have a look at this info well worth a read on a wet day but remember bees don't read the same books as us
http://www.wbka.com/pdf/a012queencells.pdf