late season queen cells

[pokerman11]

Just checked on on of my hives. Trying to figure out how much to feed them for winter prep. It has about 11 frames of honey, 5 brood and 4 blank they have yet to draw.

In the bottom brood box on the top of the frames there is capped queen cells - about 6 of them. In opening the box one got cut one open and they are full of royal jelly and larve.

Do I do anything with these queen cells? I did not see the queen today, but there were larve there so I know she's been around. It's getting late in the season - I am confused as to why they would make queen cells.

[devdog108]

they seem to be swarming everywhere!!!!! Are they supercedure cells or swarm cells.....where are they on the frames?

[pokerman11]

there was a lot of larve and burr comb between the two boxes when I pulled the upper deep off. That's where these queen cells are.

[fish_stix]

Are you sure they're queen cells and not drone cells? The bees will normally put a lot of drone brood in burr comb. Queen cells would normally be on the face or bottom of the comb.

[pokerman11]

oh yea queen cells alright, about 1/2 as long as my pinky and full of royal jelly and now capped. I can't think they are swarming this late in the year - but perhaps my queen got injured - but I got larve. I can't figure it out.

[BonnieBee]

How about eggs, did you see any?
The presence of eggs will tell you, as of three days ago, a queen is alive and well in the hive.

[brooksbeefarm]

I have seen, had and heard from other beekeepers in our club of late swarms and posted it on the Bee Fourm ( Still seeing swarms). It's been a very strange year:s. Jack

[Bee man 44]

I just had a swarm last Monday, and I know which hive they came out of, but I was out in another hive today looking around and I fouind some queen cells also, some were already hatched out, some were not hatched and I even seen one coming out. Is this hive getting ready to swarm? Whats going on?

[pokerman11]

went and looked again today. This hive is in the forest so light is difficult, and I did not see any eggs but some of the larve can't be much more than 4-5 days old - there is a ton of brood frames, not as much honey as I like to see - also started feeding 2:1 today.

I'm going to say I don't know what to do, so I'm going to take some old advise - and let the bees be bees and let them figure it out for themselfs. They've been at this longer than me.

[BonnieBee]

Something I've been wondering, as of late, is if the bees make their own queen this late in the season and she doesn't mate before winter, will the hive overwinter with a virgin queen?