Swarm - but no queen cells - is this impossible?

[PhilN]

Just watched one of my hives swarm - it's well out of reach. Had checked last weekend - no QC. Just checked the hive again now - no QC (checked really thoroughly) But there are what I would identify as Supercedure cells (between halfway and the top of the foundation) - could they be swarm cells (or must they be swarm cells?) or will bees swarm with a supercedure situation going on? Should I now reduce the supercedure cells down to 1?
Thanks

 

[Erichalfbee]

They are swarm cells.
Yes reduce to one open one mark the frame and return in a week to remove the emergency cells the bees will make.
Brush the bees off the frame with your queen cell. Shake the frames off the others

 

[drex]

Swarm cells, supercedure cells, emergency cells are all the same. They are all queen cells. The difference is In why the bees built them, what were their intentions. This can be worked out most of the time by reading the bees and experience.
I have had what looked like " supersedure" cells, from position and number, and bees have swarmed on them.

 

[Wingy]

Swarm cells, supercedure cells, emergency cells are all the same. They are all queen cells. The difference is In why the bees built them, what were their intentions. This can be worked out most of the time by reading the bees and experience.
I have had what looked like " supersedure" cells, from position and number, and bees have swarmed on them.

Just had exactly that 2 classic supercedure cells side by side right in the middle of one frame but they still swarmed, thankfully Q was clipped and recovered

 

[Finman]

If the swarm does not have swarm, it returns to its home.

The queen may die during the journey, and then the swarm do not know what to do.

And the queen can die during mating flights too.

If the swarm does not have a queen, finally it starts to make worker layer eggs. And it has no motivation to make proper combs. Cells are what ever.

It is simple to give a frame of larvae and you see next day, are they doing queen cells.
If it does not, there must be some kind of queen in the colony.

 

[Finman]

HOW TO FIND QUEEN FROM SWARM

put an excluder against the entrance

Shake all frames onto the ground in front of the entrance.

Bees go in and the queen will be found outside the excluder.