Swarm producing queen cups

[MrPea]

So I picked up a swarm a few days ago and popped it in a hive (bit of a rush job...just appeared outside of a neighbour's house and needed moving quickly). They're active and sorting things out but I noticed that they're producing queen cups on one of the frames...no eggs anywhere yet. Does this mean the queen probably didn't make it in, or does it mean absolutely nothing?

 

[Angry_Mob]

Doesn't mean anything unless they have actually charged them.

http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/queencellcups.html

 

[Wingy]

If you didn't get the Q the swarm would most likely have quickly absconded from your hive.
Queen cups don't really mean much but if developed into Queen cells it could be supercedure, they want a new queen, she may be old or not in her prime.

 

[oliver90owner]

Wingy has it nailed. Absconding might depend on whether you added a frame of brood (but that does not seem likely).

Prime or cast swarm? Egg laying will depend on which type - a virgin queen will not start laying for probably six weeks.

 

[Eyeman]

Wingy has it nailed. Absconding might depend on whether you added a frame of brood (but that does not seem likely).

Prime or cast swarm? Egg laying will depend on which type - a virgin queen will not start laying for probably six weeks.

Do you mean 6 week?

 

[Beagle23]

Do you mean 6 week?

I think he meant days

 

[oliver90owner]

I wrote six weeks. Do think about it.

If she has not started by that time and then does, she is likely a drone layer!

Unfortunately you picked on the wrong bit of my post. I should have said ‘may’, not ‘will’ and ‘probably’ should have been ‘up to’.