are these swarm cells?

[crabbydad]

i took the hive completely apart today.3 mediums filled. top box has 5 frames of brood/larva and 5 frames uncapped honey. i'm concerned that they are getting crowded.all frames are covered with bees as well as the inner cover. lots of brood and pollen in second box. also on tops of frames in second box it looks like there are queen cells. this is a package that i started in april. they were slow to start, only filling 5 frames in about a month. after they superceded my queen they really took off and filled 3 mediums. once all the brood hatches it is going to be really crowded. is it to late for them to swarm in maryland? i have pictures of the cells what do you think?
i couldn't get my pictures to download. i will try again after i submit this post. the cells stick up about a 1/4 inch past the frame.
crabbydad

[crabbydad]

cell-1.jpgcells-2.jpgcells-3.jpgcells-4.jpgcells-5.jpg

[johng]

No, just drone cells.

[JRG13]

yep, drone cells. Queencells will typically be vertical too.

[crabbydad]

ok, thanks. they seemed much higher than the drone cells i am used to seeing. should i add a super for them to fill for their own use?

[NeilV]

If they filled up what you gave them, then add another box.

[scrapiron]

if goldenrod is blooming in your area (it is) you should be pulling your supers

[crabbydad]

i haven't added any supers, i was going to put one on because i have 3 mediums full of brood/pollen. but not as much as honey as i would like to see. i wanted to give them more room and let them fill the medium with honey to use to winter over, or should i leave them alone? i was going to feed them after the fall flow is over.

[NeilV]

Give them more room, and see what happens. They may have enough stores for winter and, if so, you don't need to feed them. They may store enough for you to take some.

The goldenrod comment I think means that if you have honey to extract, you should get it off before goldenrod gets mixed in with it. Goldenrod honey stinks while it cures, and apparently does not taste that great. We don't have enough of a fall flow here to harvest goldenrod, and, this year, we need major weather changes or won't have any fall flow at all. However, goldenrod honey works fine for winter stores. However, if you are not harvesting, then just let them store some more honey for overwintering. It won't matter if it is goldenrod honey.

[Keth Comollo]

Drone brood. Nothing to worry about. Add supers if they seem crowded.

[crabbydad]

i'm going to add a super to give them room. once all the capped brood i saw hatches it is really going to be crowded. if they dont fill it, i'll feed to make sure they do so they can use this to winter over.