Missed an emergence date, and had myself a queen battle in a nuc. The emerged queens opened a neat round cap at the tip of the cell, all of them looked the same. One adult queen was left from 3 cells. In a neighboring nuc the cell of the same age looked like it emerged too but queen nowhere to be found, 3 checks. What's weird is they don't act queenless, I gave them brood to start over and they aren't starting any cells.
When a queen attacks her sister in a cell does she open the tip and then sting, or does anything characterize an attacked cell from an emerged? My books fail here.
I just read about someone who had a queen go into a neighboring nuc and kill queen cells. This is why I'm curious.
Thanks!
Yes, usually you'll see the base of the cell chewed away by the attacking queen instead of a small uncapped area at tip of cell. :)
Appreciate it lotsabees. Time for some CSI work.
hehe... you bet. have fun!
The attacked cell will have a large door chewed into the side of the cell. The newly emerged virgins are very hard to spot as they look more like a worker than a queen, just a little larger than a worker. They won't develop the long abdomen until after mating.
UPDATE: They started queen cells. No evidence of struggle. Queen didn't make it back from nuptial flight is my conclusion. I may have the swallow I saw feasting on bees to thank.