Comments/suggestions?

[hilreal]

Last summer I did a cut out from an old garage that had been there unmanaged for numerous years. Hive built up tremendously and overwintered very strong (no treatments). I knew it was building quickly so gave it lots of room to expand (it stove piped on me). Checked it yesterday and found brood but not as much as I expected, less bees than expected, and a huge number of queen cells (I stopped counting at 15). Hive has probably already swarmed? I pulled several frames of brood with queen cells attached and put them in a nuc box and moved to a new location. Left the old hive with several capped queen cells. I am thinking of just leaving it alone and letting nature take its course. Any other suggestions?

[wcubed]

Good plan. You should now have two hives with those survivor genetics.
If there was a noticible decrease in population, they likely have swarmed. But a lack of bees upstairs is a more reliable indication. And you need to adjust your judgement based on conditions at the time of hive opening. The population varies with the number of bees in the field foraging.

Had a stovepiped colony with maybe 20 cells that superseded. The clue to intent is the number of cells per level. If they are intending to SS, about 6 cells max per level (Would waffle on seven or eight) and those cells are off to the side, think SS. If the cells are dispersed into the center of the brood nest and there are more of them, think swarm. Another clue is the age distribution of the cells in work. SS cells are normally at about the same stage of development - like all capped or being elongated. In the swarm process, later cells are being started as backups.

Only clues - never say never or always when talking about bees. Some colony is sure to make a lier of you.
Walt

[NasalSponge]

"never say never or always when talking about bees. Some colony is sure to make a lier of you."

That, Sir, is one of the truest statements one can make about bee's! Well put. :applause: