I have a hive from a cutout early this spring. They are going strong and have filled two deeps with open cells, stores and brood. The queen has plenty of area to lay but I noticed queen cups today on an newly drawn frame near the outer edge of the top deep. The frame the cups are on are nearly devoid of brood and only a handful of eggs, the queen was on a frame next door. Do the queen cups necessarily suggest they are going to swarm? There are four cups located between the middle and lower part of the frame. They appeared empty.