Supersedure or swarm...?

[Bitteroot]

one big pretty queen cell mid way up the face of a frame. It is hanging straight down and as about as "peanuty" as it can be. There is little brood in this TBH and very little stores as well. Take out the cell or no?

Also... do I need to feed this hive right now or let it alone and wait for the goldenrod to start?

I'm also thinking about putting a swarm trap a few feet away just in case it is a swarm cell..... ya'lls thoughts would be appreciated.

[Hortusrarus]

one big pretty queen cell mid way up the face of a frame. It is hanging straight down and as about as "peanuty" as it can be. There is little brood in this TBH and very little stores as well. Take out the cell or no?

Also... do I need to feed this hive right now or let it alone and wait for the goldenrod to start?

I'm also thinking about putting a swarm trap a few feet away just in case it is a swarm cell..... ya'lls thoughts would be appreciated.

It sounds like a supersedure cell, the small brood and little storage. What are the bees collecting? It they are not collecting much nectar or pollen then go ahead and feed.

Also, put put the swarm trap! If nothing else you might trap a swarm from elsewhere. As well as have a "back-up" if they are trying to swarm.

One final question, how is the worker population?

[Bitteroot]

It sounds like a supersedure cell, the small brood and little storage. What are the bees collecting? It they are not collecting much nectar or pollen then go ahead and feed.

Also, put put the swarm trap! If nothing else you might trap a swarm from elsewhere. As well as have a "back-up" if they are trying to swarm.

One final question, how is the worker population?

I moved this hive to the National Forest edge a few miles from my home on a friends land. The sourwood was/is blooming there and they should have plenty of availability and it did look like they were adding nectar in some of the frames. To date... this TBH has only drawn about half of the 32 bars available. I hived them in Mid March but stole 3 frames from them when they doing really well and started a new hive in a lang. I am concerned that they may not have done enough work to get stores ready and have a place for the queen to lay and establish a winter nest. There seems to be pretty good coverage on many bars of comb....and with the remainder of the spotty brood due to hatch.. they may be enough bees to get to work. That is why I considered feeding them... to allow them to build more if they think they need to.

[Hortusrarus]

With that info, feed.
It will increase, or should, the number of "wax producing" bees and the rate that they are producing.

How is the precipitation situation?

The amount of rain the native plants are getting now is going to influence heavily what the fall flow is going to be like. If you are like us we are only a little better off this year than last year.

[Bitteroot]

With that info, feed.
It will increase, or should, the number of "wax producing" bees and the rate that they are producing.

How is the precipitation situation?

The amount of rain the native plants are getting now is going to influence heavily what the fall flow is going to be like. If you are like us we are only a little better off this year than last year.

We are dry as a chip right now and have been for a while! I will start feeding today and let them do what they do! Thanks a lot for the advice!

[Hortusrarus]

Sounds like a plan.