Supercedure troubles?

[Tim.S]

I went through the hives last night - all seemed well until I got to my single hive of Buckfast bees. On splitting the two boxes ( it was on a brood and a half, very full and I am getting all my b and a halves on to double broods by moving the Qe down and putting a box under ) I must have disturbed what looked like a Qc and unfortunately broke it as the two boxes came apart. On further inspection there were no eggs visible only capped brood and a few large grubs. No sign of a Q (2 years old) that I saw either, so the question is this:-
If the Qc was a supercedure cell, and the only one, is the old queen likely to still be hiding in the box somewhere and capable of laying more eggs to provide another cell, or could she have been bumped off by the workers? My knowledge of the supercedure process is not as good as it should be, strangely in 5 years of beekeeping this is the first time I have come across it. Thanks in anticipation!

 

[Finman]

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Buy a laying queen. Own supercedure queen goes too far towards September.

 

[VEG]

With supercedure the bees don't normally kill off the old queen until the new one is laying. Are you sure there is only one queen cell?

 

[richardbees]

what looked like a Qc and unfortunately broke it

Tim

We've all done that! - you've got other hives so I suggest leaving three days then put in a frame with eggs from another hive.

 

[Tim.S]

Pretty certain - and sods law dictates I mash it!

Thanks Finman, that was my first thought but hope springs eternal!

Thanks Richard, the only surprise is that it has taken me 5 years to do it!

 

[Finman]

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If the colony wants to supercede the queen, it may do it during winter. Then you have a drone layer in spring.

To rear a new queen takes time. 2 weeks the cell, and 10 days from emerge to laying. Together 24 days. It is almost Semptember then. I may go wrong too in some place.

If you have a normally laying queen, it is easy to try own rearing. But in forced situation it is not a good idea.

.

 

[richardbees]

still try a test frame as you need to be sure you really are Q- before attempting to introduce a new Q

 

[BeeJayBee]

what looked like a Qc and unfortunately broke it

We've all done that! - you've got other hives so I suggest leaving three days then put in a frame with eggs from another hive.

Did it last year, when they'd managed to attach a single, and their only, queen cell to adjacent frames. I was absolutely gutted, but gave them a 'test' frame and all came right in the end.

 

[Tim.S]

Small update.
This morning I went through the hive again, this time with a small tooth comb ( I even put my glasses on!).
No sign of any eggs, all brood capped and no sign of any other supercedure cells at all. I was just about to close up the bb and lo and behold a nice fat queen strolls across the frame. This one is unmarked so I am fairly certain she is not the original, although the spot was very faded on the old q it was still just visible. Where the heck she has come from god only knows!
I shall wait a week and have another look to see if there are any eggs i think, and then proceed from there.
Thanks for all your help and comments. Even though I may have already thought of the answer, it is nice and reassuring to have the back up of other beeks opinions on here.