# Multiple Queen Cells in September



## Phildrone (Sep 9, 2013)

I have noticed that one of my hives I caught as a swarm from a hollow tree this spring was slowing down dramatically. Upon opening tonight I discovered 13 queen cells. I had full closed queen cells in the hive with some on the bottom of the frames, indicating a possible swarm, but I also had capped cells in the middle of the frame as well. This is very confusing for me and I am learning as I am in to my second year as a bee keeper. Most of all the frames were empty from honey, and only appeared to have sugar water in some of the cells. This hive seems to be in total dis-order. Can some of you more experienced bee keepers provide me with some direction as to what I should do with this hive. We are in the midst of our last nectar flow here in Michigan and things are not looking good for this hive. :scratch:

I also forgot to mention that I had a second super on this hive for 4 weeks, since at that time the bottom super was getting pretty full. Tonight I removed it due to no activity at all and no new comb production.


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## djei5 (Apr 24, 2011)

Could be supercedure due to your queen failing. I would pinch off all cells except two, that way the first queen isn't expending too much time and energy killing twelve others. Hopefully she mates and gets to laying in the next couple weeks. Would start feeding all they can take also.


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## drtoddh (Mar 31, 2013)

Had a similar episode 2 weeks ago. Is your queen still there?? Mine was. I culled all the QCs. Put a swarm guard on front. Drones r being evicted here, so I'd be worried a new queen wouldn't be mated. I also had done a sticky board w very few mite falls. But saw some mites on capped brood. So I also treated w Apiguard. About 800 mite fall in 24h w treatment.

2 weeks later, old queen still laying and no further attempts at rearing queens. I wondered if the mite load might have stressed them to want to swarm but I don't know , I am also a 2nd y BK and am also still learning a lot.


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## burns375 (Jul 15, 2013)

I would let the bees sort it out, the only thing i do to QC's is make nucs. Usually more cells indicate swarm, less is superseder. Mites will cause superseder.


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## Phildrone (Sep 9, 2013)

I did see a good number of drones in the hive last night. I was planing on treating my hives with Apiguard next week. Thanks for the insights.


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## burns375 (Jul 15, 2013)

Phildrone said:


> I did see a good number of drones in the hive last night. I was planing on treating my hives with Apiguard next week. Thanks for the insights.


Same here about the drones. Im still seeing some drone brood and some flyers. The larger, better-off hives seem to have more.


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

I'm not so sure I would only leave two... six maybe.


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## Mike Gillmore (Feb 25, 2006)

I would leave the queen cells alone and let them work it out. How do you know that you are not cutting out the best queen cell?


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## DanielD (Jul 21, 2012)

I am not an experienced beekeeper, but would it be to your advantage to divide the hive and queen cells and have two opportunities to produce a queen? Then combine them back together after selecting the best queen from the two if they both produce one. I am sure that it depends on the size of the hive in the first place. Maybe making a very small nuc in addition to the original hive for having a second chance. Last year about this time I had a successful queen mate, but it is very late I would assume. I would like to double, (maybe triple if I had the bees), my chances if it was necessary to produce a queen. 
Someone feel free to correct me if that doesn't make sense.


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