Supersedure in August

Beekeeping & Apiculture Forum

Help Support Beekeeping & Apiculture Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Deaner666

New Bee
Joined
Feb 16, 2011
Messages
22
Reaction score
0
Location
Cornwall
Hive Type
Commercial
Number of Hives
2
Hi all,

I went through my big hive yesterday and found four sealed queen cells.

They seemed like classic supersedure cells to me - there were only 4, they were in the middle of the frame (2 each on 2 frames) and the hive has three supers on, the top one of which is only half full with honey.

This is the end of the second laying season for this queen. This is the first inspection that I've seen a lack of larvae. There was still some sealed brood, but practically no larvae (I can never see eggs). It's a bit early for her to have stopped laying completely isn't it?

I normally hate destroying queen cups / cells, preferring to leave the bees to their own means, but after some apparent supersedure cells turning into swarms on another hive (see this thread) I decided to destroy all but the one healthiest looking queen cells.

Have I done the right thing? Is it normal for the bees to be choosing to supersede at this time of year? Will a newly hatched queen have time to mate now? (There were still drones in the hive).

Cheers,

Dave
 
Is it normal for the bees to be choosing to supersede at this time of year? Will a newly hatched queen have time to mate now? (There were still drones in the hive).

Yes quite common to be superceeding at this time of year and later,some of mine superceed whilst on the heather moors during august and september,mating is of course dependant on the weather as well as drones,still plenty of drones around...and most likely better weather than in may or june.
 
but after some apparent supersedure cells turning into swarms on another hive (see this thread) I decided to destroy all but the one healthiest looking queen cells.

That will make no difference, then? If they go, they go - one cell or several.

It is at times like this that you benefit from being able to spot eggs. She is likely steadily (more slowly) laying away, and they will co-exist until with the new queen is mated at least.

Laying means she has not been slimmed down for a swarm flight.
 
I have a similar situation a hive with 4 QC’s one plum centre on a frame sealed three others on the bottom of a frame open.

This is a new queen I left the one sealed QC but could have left them all I guess but as in the past I have had SS swarm but as with rab nothing stopping them going with one cell.

This hive is full of sealed brood and eggs but not a great deal in between so made me think perhaps I should go with the bees on this one as I would sooner loose a swarm than have a Q- hive in 5 months time. The queen started well but now with little open brood I suspect all is perhaps not ok.

I do have a couple of nuc’s with what I consider spare queens so have a bit of insurance.
 
I have a similar situation a hive with 4 QC’s one plum centre on a frame sealed three others on the bottom of a frame open.

This is a new queen I left the one sealed QC but could have left them all I guess but as in the past I have had SS swarm but as with rab nothing stopping them going with one cell.

This hive is full of sealed brood and eggs but not a great deal in between so made me think perhaps I should go with the bees on this one as I would sooner loose a swarm than have a Q- hive in 5 months time. The queen started well but now with little open brood I suspect all is perhaps not ok.

I do have a couple of nuc’s with what I consider spare queens so have a bit of insurance.

We decided to go with the bees on two of our hives - they did have laying queens, and at one inspection I was concerned about how few eggs/very young larvae I could see, and sure enough, next inspection there were supercedure cells. Have left them alone now for nearly 3 weeks (apart from checking how full supers are and removing a couple of full frames) but I'm really curious to open up and have a look - but so far have been talked out of it (quite rightly), especially as there was a fully charged supercedure cell on the bottom of one of the super frames - _above_ the queen excluder when I checked stores last weekend!
 
I think I'm in the same boat. Newly mated queen (just started laying 3 weeks ago), 7 really well laid up frames, 6 queen cells.
 
Thanks for the posts. Seems like my situation isn't too out of the blue, although I still don't know if destroying cells is the right thing to do. It certainly doesn't feel right to do it!
 

Latest posts

Back
Top