Queen cups in the middle of one freshly drwan farme.

886 Views 6 Replies 3 Participants Last post by GOHoney, May 18, 2014

GOHoney

Discussion Starter · May 18, 2014

I checked my two hives today installed April 5th. Both are doing great and have second boxes on for a couple of weeks. One of them in the lower brood box has a frame of freshly drawn comb with two queen cups in the middle of the frame. Lots of capped Drone cells on the outside frames. They just being prepared or should I be worried?

Thanks

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Joseph Clemens

· #2 · May 18, 2014

So, are they queen cell cups, or actual queen cells. Cups are empty, queen cells have eggs, larva, or pupa in them.

Cell cups are almost always present, in many colonies. Queen cells almost always have a purpose (at least, if only to raise virgins queens in).

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GOHoney

Discussion Starter · #3 · May 18, 2014

They are Queen cell cups. They have nothing in them.

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Colobee

· #4 · May 18, 2014

Good observation.

Think of cups as part of the bee's emergency preparedness plan - they are practicing/preparing "just in case" they need to replace the queen in an emergency. Like say you accidentally squish her during your inspection. It's nothing at all to be alarmed about. Actually comforting.

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GOHoney

Discussion Starter · #5 · May 18, 2014

I was hoping that's all it is. The Queen is doing a great job in that hive. There are capped brood, eggs and larva on all but one frame in that bottom box.

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Colobee

· #6 · May 18, 2014

Excellent! Time to find a chair and watch them haul-in-pollen ( if you have all your supers, etc. ready)

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GOHoney

Discussion Starter · #7 · May 18, 2014

Supers are ready to go, just waiting for them to get 8 frames done in the top box.

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