[kenneth]

All,
This is my first year in beekeeping. I purchased two packages of bees and two hives. Last Friday my partner and I went into the hive for an inspection of how far the frames were drawn out. Noticed some real cool things. There were eggs and lots of capped brood and lots of stores. We went back yesterday afternoon to add the second deep box because there are seven frames that were filled.
Upon inspection yesterday, we were going through the frames and noticed that there was a larger cell on the center frame at the bottom(it looks like a teacup upside down. My first thought was to remove it with hive tool, but we decided to find the queen first. We had no joy on finding the queen. We looked at the other hive to compare the amount of bees and there were about the same amount in each. We went back to the other hive and tried finding new eggs for a sign that the queen was there but still no joy with eggs. There were workers building more of the previously stated teacup shapped cell. We also noticed there was larva that was very small surronding the area around the brood but could not see inside the teacup cell to see if there was anything in there.
I have not noticed any drones but there does look like drone cells that are in the brood section of the frame.

Someone please help with advise.

Thank you for reading,
Kenneth

 

[Wolfer]

Unless you really know what your doing tearing down queen cells is always a bad idea in my opinion.

It's very common for package queens to be superseded shortly after they get established. I would let the bees handle it.

If its a supersedure you should have eggs from your new queen in 30 days. Maybe a little less depending on how far along the queen cell is.
I'd keep an eye on things in case something goes wrong but most of the time it'll work out.
Woody Roberts

 

[kenneth]

Is that 30 days of no eggs going to effect the cycle of brood enough to hurt the colony to much?

 

[Michael Bush]

>My first thought was to remove it with hive tool...

I wish I could understand that impulse. I would never remove a queen cell. I used to balk at using the word "never" but I can't think of a good reason unless it's an AHB hive and I know it's an AHB queen... otherwise, I think "never" fits pretty well. I only need to understand why the cell is there (if it is a cell). If it's just a cup, it means nothing and you can forget it. If it has a larvae in it, the question is why did the start a queen cell? Once you answer that question you can decide what to do with it. and that should NOT involve destroying it...

Packages seldom raise drones until they are well established.

 

[Wolfer]

Not too bad. Most of the eggs/larva you have in the hive now will hatch about a week or so before your new queen starts laying.
New homegrown queens tend too be real performers in my experience.

 

[kenneth]

I did a little research last night about different types of queen cells. It looks most like a emergency cell (if that makes any since).

 

[Wolfer]

Yes this would be called an emergency cell. For the record all of my queens are raised in emergency cells. I don't graft, cell punch or notch. I'm foundationless so I make sure they have some fresh drawn frames with eggs when I make them queen less. The new soft wax is very easy for them to cut down and it's easy for me to cut out the extra cells for mating nucs.
Some people say emergency queens are inferior. You'll find that most of these people are in the business of selling queens.

 

[pharmbee]

>My first thought was to remove it with hive tool...

I wish I could understand that impulse. I would never remove a queen cell. I used to balk at using the word "never" but I can't think of a good reason unless it's an AHB hive and I know it's an AHB queen... otherwise, I think "never" fits pretty well. I only need to understand why the cell is there (if it is a cell). If it's just a cup, it means nothing and you can forget it. If it has a larvae in it, the question is why did the start a queen cell? Once you answer that question you can decide what to do with it. and that should NOT involve destroying it...

Packages seldom raise drones until they are well established.

I did it with my first hive. I don't know why. I read books that said not to. I still did it. Dumb beekeeper I was and still am, although I haven't done it again

 

[Michael Bush]

>I did it with my first hive. I don't know why. I read books that said not to.

And I'm not blaming you. It happens so often and it's a mystery to me why. I wish I understood it... but then the old books all seemed sold on the idea...