Supersedure cell with DLQ.

[Katherine]

How can this be? I did a final inspection of a hive which has had a DLQ for several weeks before shaking out. I found a capped supersedure cell surrounded by drone brood. (should have taken a photo). What is going on here?

 

[Erichalfbee]

You found a king cell
A drone larva

 

[Boston Bees]

As Dani says

Found a couple of these myself last week. If you open the cell up you will find a rather confused drone larva, probably jammed in an awkward position.

It's a desperate doomed instinctive attempt to make a queen I guess.

 

[Katherine]

Well you learn something new everyday
Poor bees. They are now in the bosom of a queen right hive. I hope they feel as relieved as I am.

 

[DRam]

If a colony is trying to raise 'king cells' from drone eggs/larva and maybe has some capped are the bees aware that this is futile and if you put a test frame in with worker eggs will they raise proper queen cells, or are they going to ignore those eggs until the 'king cells' hatch, at which point the eggs will be too old to raise a new queen.

If you are in the situation of adding a test frame to a colony which might be raising 'king cells' should you cut all queen-cell looking structures out as you add the frame, let them get on with sorting it out themselves or is the colony doomed?

 

[Katherine]

That's a good question but I guess you should get rid of any king cells to give the test frame the best chance and all the attention. I didn't have a colony to get a test frame from alas. My other colony is also struggling to expand due to bad weather.

 

[pargyle]

If a colony is trying to raise 'king cells' from drone eggs/larva and maybe has some capped are the bees aware that this is futile and if you put a test frame in with worker eggs will they raise proper queen cells, or are they going to ignore those eggs until the 'king cells' hatch, at which point the eggs will be too old to raise a new queen.

If you are in the situation of adding a test frame to a colony which might be raising 'king cells' should you cut all queen-cell looking structures out as you add the frame, let them get on with sorting it out themselves or is the colony doomed?

It's a waste of time adding frames of eggs to laying worker colonies ... too late, the time has passed - just shake them out...

 

[Katherine]

It's a waste of time adding frames of eggs to laying worker colonies ... too late, the time has passed - just shake them out...

I didn't think he was at that stage yet. There would still be point if it was a drone laying queen if the workers weren't too old?

 

[pargyle]

I didn't think he was at that stage yet. There would still be point if it was a drone laying queen if the workers weren't too old?

If there is a drone laying queen in the hive you would have to remove her before introducing any eggs ... there's little chance of them raising a supercedure cell with the DLQ still in there. Personally, in that situation, I would despatch the queen and combine the colony with another colony as you are going to have elderly workers by the time a new queen was raised and a predominance of drones ... better to use them somewhere else whilst they are of use rather than risk them not raising a queen, watching dwindling numbers of workers only to find that after weeks you still don't have a viable queen.

Sometimes it's better to just cut your losses.

 

[Katherine]

If there is a drone laying queen in the hive you would have to remove her before introducing any eggs ... there's little chance of them raising a supercedure cell with the DLQ still in there. Personally, in that situation, I would despatch the queen and combine the colony with another colony as you are going to have elderly workers by the time a new queen was raised and a predominance of drones ... better to use them somewhere else whilst they are of use rather than risk them not raising a queen, watching dwindling numbers of workers only to find that after weeks you still don't have a viable queen.

Sometimes it's better to just cut your losses.

Yes that's what I did with mine and the new combo is working well. Good to have the heads up from a super moderator. Thanks for your time.