Supercedure in May?

[Jimmys Mum]

How common is supercedure at this time of year?

I have a hive with 10 frames of brood with a 2014 clipped queen. It's currently got 3 alomost full supers sitting on top so to my eyes it's a pretty successful colony.

Six days ago on the centre of a frame I found one large cup with a single upright egg in it which I left alone.

Checking again yesterday, they have produced a queen cell from it, as yet uncapped. No sign of any other cups with eggs or queen cells. Looks like supercedure to me but I've only experienced it once before and that was in the autumn.

I've left it again on the basis that if they do swarm off of that one cell, the queen is clipped so hopefully I won't lose the bees.

I'm just surprised to see it at this time of year.

 

[Laz]

Hi Jimmys Mum, this happened to me last month
"After finding my hive Q- and 4/2 sealed Queen cells on 2 different frames on my 1st inspection, 14/4, I returned and set up a “nuc” hoping to do a split, I returned 15/4 and found that “The Game of Thr@nes” had been played out. One hatched Q cell, all others being recycled by the girls, I shut up shop and will have to sit on my hands for the next 2 weeks, hopefully the virgin (I may call her Miss April) will get mated and settle down to be business of colony building."
Update:
Friday 15/5 Q+ (Now Mrs April) laying v.well and colony settled, so a definite yes it does happen at this time of year

 

[Sadders]

How common is supercedure at this time of year?

I have a hive with 10 frames of brood with a 2014 clipped queen. It's currently got 3 alomost full supers sitting on top so to my eyes it's a pretty successful colony.

Six days ago on the centre of a frame I found one large cup with a single upright egg in it which I left alone.

Checking again yesterday, they have produced a queen cell from it, as yet uncapped. No sign of any other cups with eggs or queen cells. Looks like supercedure to me but I've only experienced it once before and that was in the autumn.

I've left it again on the basis that if they do swarm off of that one cell, the queen is clipped so hopefully I won't lose the bees.

I'm just surprised to see it at this time of year.

Could you have damaged HM during an inspection?

 

[Jimmys Mum]

Could you have damaged HM during an inspection?

I don't think so but I did wonder about that! I will trust that the bees 'know best' and let them get on with it!