What's happening here?

[Antipodes]

Inspected a colony yesterday. First frame had a queen cell on it and the colony was a little smaller than I had hoped for. No eggs but capped larvae. I thought the queen had died perhaps, but the next frame had the queen on it. She is a young queen who had been laying well enough. Photos attached.
I put the frame to one side for 10 minutes while I got something to put the queen in, (it was 34 degrees so they were happy), and when I came back she was on the dark side laying an egg. I found two eggs there ...presumably both just laid as they were in that spot where I saw her laying, but they were the only eggs in the hive that I could see. Anyhow, to be on the safe side to avoid a swarm, I took the queen away but left the queen cell. It was almost like the worker bees were stopping her laying and when the frame was out of the hive against the fence, she took an opportunity to start laying eggs whilst the workers were distracted??

 

[Antipodes]

I've made up a nuc with the queen (who has been accepted by them) and I'll see what happens with her.

I'll check in due course if the queen cell turns into a mated queen

 

[The Poot]

I've made up a nuc with the queen (who has been accepted by them) and I'll see what happens with her.

I'll check in due course if the queen cell turns into a mated queen

They keep us all guessing don’t they?
Great to see some sunshine photos. Three days of rain forecast here

 

[Antipodes]

So the young mated queen that was probably being replaced, and that was removed and put in a nuc, is (was) laying, however, today when I lifted the lid of the nuc, there was a small ball of bees on the edge of the hive mat. Yep...they were balling her, and from their position and from the appearance and behaviour of the ball, they were at it before I lifted the lid. I rescued her in my hand and took the cluster indoors, and re-introduced her back to the nuc in a queen cage with a good chunk of candy. I'll see again in a week if they've accepted her.

 

[Curly green finger's]

So the young mated queen that was probably being replaced, and that was removed and put in a nuc, is (was) laying, however, today when I lifted the lid of the nuc, there was a small ball of bees on the edge of the hive mat. Yep...they were balling her, and from their position and from the appearance and behaviour of the ball, they were at it before I lifted the lid. I rescued her in my hand and took the cluster indoors, and re-introduced her back to the nuc in a queen cage with a good chunk of candy. I'll see again in a week if they've accepted her.

By reading your thread I think she hasn't mated well and you will find she won't last long.
They will probably supersede her.
I may up eating my hat though

 

[Antipodes]

By reading your thread I think she hasn't mated well and you will find she won't last long.
They will probably supersede her.
I may up eating my hat though

I think you could be right. I find that I go through a lot of hats beekeeping though There seems to be something that they don't like about her. She looks absolutely fine. I remember reading that there might be a lot more balling going on that we just don't see, I think that is probably correct....we can't always be Johnny -on- the -spot.

 

[The Poot]

So the young mated queen that was probably being replaced, and that was removed and put in a nuc, is (was) laying, however, today when I lifted the lid of the nuc, there was a small ball of bees on the edge of the hive mat. Yep...they were balling her, and from their position and from the appearance and behaviour of the ball, they were at it before I lifted the lid. I rescued her in my hand and took the cluster indoors, and re-introduced her back to the nuc in a queen cage with a good chunk of candy. I'll see again in a week if they've accepted her.