# empty queen cells?



## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

They are still building them out. When there is a hole in the side the first out or existing queen is the sole survivor. That white milky jelly is royal jelly. You can carefully scoop it out and put it in the fridge while you learn about queen rearing.
You might consider why they are building queens too. The hive is doing well so they might be ready to reproduce!


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## Mosherd1 (Apr 17, 2011)

The queen cells were not actually empty, there is a small larvae sitting ontop of the Royal Jelly. Take a frame with a cell on it and make up a nuc! This is the bees giving you permission to increase your colony numbers. If there is a good brood pattern it is probably prepping to swarm and not supercede. Keep an eye out for a swarm.


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

Reproduce, swarm - make more colonies!


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## clintonbemrose (Oct 23, 2001)

These may be queen cups that are built and sit empty for emergency to raise a new queen. I would just check them in 5 to 7 days and if they are capped (look like a peanut shell) remove them and do a split on the hive and insert the frames with the queen cells in the new hive leaving the old queen in the original hive. Just my opinion
Clint


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## beeware10 (Jul 25, 2010)

If the bees have a good brood pattern and jelly in queen cells they are going to swarm. If you have the equip. make 2-3 nucs with a cell in each. otherwise 1/2 of the hive will be gone when the cells are capped.


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## fish_stix (May 17, 2009)

Taking the cells out isn't going to stop a swarm. You need to remove the old queen and some frames of brood with bees and make a split with them. Leave the cells for the old hive. When they have swarm cells the swarm is going to leave whether or not you remove cells. Removing the cells to make splits will guarantee a queenless hive after the swarm leaves.


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## DCook (Jan 3, 2010)

At this time, I have no extra equipment. I started with a nuc this time last year. I have given them plenty of room. Why would they swarm now?


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## BertieFox (May 8, 2010)

If you leave the cells until they are sealed then you will have lost the prime swarm as the old queen leaves the day the first cell is sealed. But if you only have TWO queen cells (are you sure?) then they could be supersedure cells and you don't want to start messing about splitting the stock into nukes. Chances are at this time of year, though, that they are swarm cells, and there may be others being started that you haven't spotted yet. 

The best thing to do is remove the existing queen and any unsealed brood into a nuke or another hive body with as many young bees as are clinging to the combs, place this on a different stand nearby. Any flying bees will return to the original stock which is now queenless but with queen cells being constructed, and no young brood to raise any more. In the old, original stock, left on the hive stand, check the state of the queen cells and leave them until all are sealed. Find the best one and leave it, destroying all the others. 
When the queen emerges she will be get mated and start laying shortly afterwards. You can then remove the old queen from the 'other' stock and unite it with the young queen knowing they won't swarm again this season. If for some reason the new queen got lost on her mating flights, then you still have the old queen to unite with the original lot, and with the break in brood rearing it's unlikely they will start swarming again.


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## DCook (Jan 3, 2010)

How much time do I have to do this? I have no extra equipment. I will need to get another body and stand.


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## BertieFox (May 8, 2010)

Are there any other beekeepers in your neighbourhood who can loan you some boxes for a few weeks? They don't need to be in wonderful condition if just to do some manipulations as above. 
Ideally you need to examine them again and see how far off being sealed the queen cells are. I'd do the manipulation suggested asap as usually the prime swarm goes off as soon as the cells are sealed. If they do swarm and you catch it, you'll still need a box and some frames to put it in, but if that happens you can simply reduce the cells in the old stock to one and reunite both stocks once a new queen is laying there, having eliminated the old queen.
If the worst comes to the worst and you lose the swarm, depending on the honey harvest in your area you should still be able to get some honey, but you must prevent after swarms by reducing the cells to one anyway. Good luck.


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## snapper1d (Apr 8, 2011)

Leave the queen cells.You cant tell from looking what is going on inside the queen cell after it is capped.If you destroy all but one and that one dies in the cell you will be queenless.When they start to emerge the best queen will be the one that takes over the hive.


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## bigbore (Feb 25, 2008)

QUEEN CELLS ARE CAPPED ON DAY 6!!!!!!!!!!! 
You just found them, so you don't know how long they have been there, but less than 6 days because they are not capped. 
Get in there as soon as you can. 
do you have the old nuc box around somewhere? it would do in a pinch for the old queen and a few frames. 
These things happen. My first year, I started with 2 packages, and by october I had 5 hives on the line. You just gotta roll with it.


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## wcubed (Aug 24, 2008)

Any place in GA, excepting perhaps the highest mountain, you should be past the time of reproductive swarming. That would make the 2 cells you see supersedure cells. SS is good. If you intercede in the process, you create problems where you have none.

Using the info that you have provided, I vote supersedure. And if you go with the odds, you will do nothing but watch it happen. 

Clues to determination of SS vs swarm cells:
1. Less than 6 cells. (Ten or more implies swarm intent)
2. Cells of nearly the same stage of development. (Swarm cells range from egg to capped)
From your description, there is no contest.

Walt


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