Supercedure cells?

[freethorpe bees]

Hi All

On my last inspection on 23.4 i found one queen cell at the top of one frame in the middle. As there were eggs I knocked it down. At the time I thought it may possible be supercedure. Today I inspected, quickly due to the weather, and there were three qcs on the same frame, one on one side and two on the other in the same position. Do these sound like supercedure to you?

Oh and another thing! My other hive has built several queen cups, some with and some without eggs. Your thoughts on that too please.

Be gentle with me .........

FB

 

[Black Comb]

I had similar last year and assumed they were supercedure.
So,I left them.
The hive swarmed, fortunately the queen was clipped.
At this time of year my advice would be to treat them as swarm cells.

No doubt others will differ.

 

[bobster]

Read this, once you think you understand it, read it again.

Knocking down QCs is pointless. They'll only build more, as you've just found out.

Bobster

 

[Black Comb]

Re. queen cups
queen cups with or without eggs can be ignored.
It's when you see a charged queen cup you need to take action.

 

[richardbees]

Read this, once you think you understand it, read it again.

Knocking down QCs is pointless. They'll only build more, as you've just found out.


Sorry bobster but I think that sort of post is unacceptably agressive and bullying in tone!

Besides which, knocking down QCs at least stops them swarming for another week, maybe to allow time to get more equipment to handle an AS?

 

[beesleybees]

Read this, once you think you understand it, read it again.

Knocking down QCs is pointless. They'll only build more, as you've just found out.


Sorry bobster but I think that sort of post is unacceptably agressive and bullying in tone!

Besides which, knocking down QCs at least stops them swarming for another week, maybe to allow time to get more equipment to handle an AS?

 

[freethorpe bees]

Thanks for the replies. Don't worry, I don't react to virtual bullying! To be honest I didn't read it like that anyway.

I have decided to do an AS (hmm if only it was as easy as it sounds!) and check the other hive (with the play cups) in a week.

Thanks all.

FB

 

[REDWOOD]

Thanks for the replies. Don't worry, I don't react to virtual bullying! To be honest I didn't read it like that anyway.

I have decided to do an AS (hmm if only it was as easy as it sounds!) and check the other hive (with the play cups) in a week.

Thanks all.

FB

I did not think it was bullying either, just straight to the point he was just concerned for you and even posted a link that is like a bible to new beekeepers

 

[richardbees]

maybe "hectoring" is a better word

 

[Hivemaker.]

Besides which, knocking down QCs at least stops them swarming for another week, maybe to allow time to get more equipment to handle an AS?

Another myth, if the bees are indeed in swarming mode, then they can have a sealed cell and swarm around four days after you knocked down their original cells. And if they really have the swarming impulse bad,then they will even swarm on open cells,or even no cells at times,but unlikely in this weather.

 

[tonybloke]

Another myth, if the bees are indeed in swarming mode, then they can have a sealed cell and swarm around four days after you knocked down their original cells. And if they really have the swarming impulse bad,then they will even swarm on open cells,or even no cells at times,but unlikely in this weather.

although we've had good breaks in the weather here in the east

 

[bobster]

Apologies to FB if the tone was over agressive.

It took me several reads to understand it and act upon the information given.

Bobster

 

[drstitson]

"Read this, once you think you understand it, read it again.
Knocking down QCs is pointless. They'll only build more, as you've just found out."



perfectly sensible, non aggressive advice.

and as per HM (and detailed in the welsh booklet), knocking down QCs does NOT give you a week window. You may well find new cells made and bees swarmed in 4 days. So you're actually making things potentially much worse control-wise.