[onesojourner]

I am kind of stumped about this. I have been keeping plenty of bars in the brood chamber and there are 4 or 5 bars past the last built comb.

Technically this is in the middle of a bar but it is on the edge of the comb that they have built.

 

[biggraham610]

Queen Cups. I have been told they build them all the time, and tear them down until one is needed. Have seen them do the same and they were gone when I went back. G

 

[Saltybee]

The thumbnail photo; Is the cluster of bees in the center the beginning of a comb spur or is that a nearly capped queen cell under those bees?

You might be better off forcing them to use new bars by placing them in the existing nest, some bees move out some do not move readily. That burr comb tells me yours are slow to expand sideways.

 

[onesojourner]

The thumbnail photo; Is the cluster of bees in the center the beginning of a comb spur or is that a nearly capped queen cell under those bees?

You might be better off forcing them to use new bars by placing them in the existing nest, some bees move out some do not move readily. That burr comb tells me yours are slow to expand sideways.

No that is not a capped cell. I think they are just festooning there.

I have been putting empty bars between fully drawn comb. Is that what you mean? they have 2 empty bars in the nest right now and one partially drawn.

 

[Saltybee]

Good.That is what I was asking about the cell, and that is what I was as suggesting about the bars.

 

[Michael Bush]

Can't tell on the thumbnail but the other is just a cup as far as I can tell. Look inside for an egg or larvae... cups mean nothing...

 

[onesojourner]

I did not notice anything inside any of the 3 cups but I will keep an eye on them. If I do find them capped what should my next step be?

 

[Saltybee]

You would be seeing fewer eggs and some backfilling with nectar. Then it is swarm prevention time, moving the queen to a nuc.

Keep working on getting them to use the new space. syrup on the bars, rubbing the bars with burr comb or propolis, sometimes looks like it helps, sometimes it does not look like it does anything at all. Can't hurt.

 

[AugustC]

These will quiet often disappear when you feed in new bars to the brood area.

 

[jwcarlson]

I found the exact same thing today during our inspection. There was nothing in them that I could see, so I spaced out the brood nest a little bit by adding a couple of bars in between the others.

 

[onesojourner]

I checked last night through the window and it looks like they are gone. There were a bunch of bees so I'm not 100% positive though.