Will bees want to swarm at this time of year?

[aidskywalker]

I inspected my hive today which was a nucleus and is now thriving with plenty of stores, capped brood, larvae, eggs and cover all frames except one. Is it usual for a colony to prepare to swarm at this time of year? I think I saw an uncapped queen cell at the bottom of a frame. It didn't look like a conventional queen cell as it was small but it was like a 'cup' it had an egg in it . I destroyed the cup. I was under the impression most swarming took place earlier on in the season, (this is my first season). Is it possible that it could have been an unfinished queen cell. I wouldn't want to put a super on at this time of year to provide more space as the queen will no doubt start slowing down in the next few weeks. Any answers and/of advice?

 

[For want of a better word]

Even now bees will need more room, presuming the colony is out of the nuc into a std National brood... put a super full of frame on, they may go brood + 1/2 or utilise the space they need for stores.
I seems that the books were written for "normal" seasons.... not the rapidly changing ones we seem to be having now
My Gran blamed the "A" bomb for the bad weather... and that was in the 60s terrible British Summers !!!!

 

[Tom Bick]

Queens often lay in queen cups and I would think more so if the queen is prolific. In most cases the bees remove the egg. I would agree with icanhopit and if your queen is prolific she and the bees may need more room and a super may provide that. The bees will be on the ivy soon and they can get very busy.

 

[protheroe]

I found 2 hives with queen cells earlier today and sorted 2 out last weekend.these are the first all season.

 

[Tom Bick]

At this time of year queen cells are likely to be supersedure.

 

[oliver90owner]

You need to look at how much expansion has taken place. I'm afraid too many (new and not so new) beeks stuff the hive full of sugar syrup and the quern has no space to lay. If that were the case I would advise removing stores frames from the brood and adding new combs/foundation for brooding.

As your info is a bit on the light side, I don't know if this is the case or not.

Swarms are produced late in the year, but one colony at least would usually fail in nature. Probably nature's way of removing stupid genes from the pool.