Is this a Queen cell?

David LaFerney · June 19, 2009, 02:07:06 PM

What do you think? Is it a queen cell?

asprince · June 19, 2009, 02:10:52 PM

Hard to tell, but if I have to guess, I would say no. From this angle it does not look like one.

Steve

sc-bee · June 19, 2009, 02:17:25 PM

I vote no!!! May be a cup?

annette · June 19, 2009, 02:21:12 PM

I have seen things like that occasionally in my hives, but they never amount to anything.

mgmoore7 · June 19, 2009, 02:25:30 PM

No.

G3farms · June 19, 2009, 02:34:08 PM

I would say no also.

G3

David LaFerney · June 19, 2009, 02:37:15 PM

You're all bumming me out with your negativity, but I'm betting you're right. And I was all prepared with a nuc all set up and everything. If you said yes I was heading right back down there and dig it back out.

Anyway, thanks.

mgmoore7 · June 19, 2009, 02:45:27 PM

When you see the queen cell, it is likely you won't be questioning it. It will likely be that different and usually there are multiple.

Robo · June 19, 2009, 02:48:10 PM

Looks like a queen cup to me. Was there a larvae in it? You'll find cups quite often, but until you see a larvae in it, it is there just in case.

G3farms · June 19, 2009, 02:54:38 PM

are you wanting to make a split?

G3

iddee · June 19, 2009, 03:57:08 PM

It is a queen cup. These are queen cells.

Michael Bush · June 19, 2009, 10:09:46 PM

It is a queen cup. If it has a larvae in it, then it's a queen cell. If not, then it is just a queen cup.

David LaFerney · June 20, 2009, 12:06:47 AM

Quote from: G3farms on June 19, 2009, 02:54:38 PM
are you wanting to make a split?

G3

I would like to, and my (1) hive population and activity seem to be really picking up so I went into this inspection ready to do so if I found something that made it seem like a good time. But I didn't really, so I guess I'll wait for now. Anyway, I've got a place to put it all ready if I get the opportunity to do one.

David LaFerney · June 20, 2009, 12:18:07 AM

Quote from: Robo on June 19, 2009, 02:48:10 PM
Looks like a queen cup to me. Was there a larvae in it? You'll find cups quite often, but until you see a larvae in it, it is there just in case.

I don't know if there is a larva in it or not. I didn't spot it while I was doing the inspection, only later when I was looking at the pictures that my wife took. Then when I reexamined all of the pictures I didn't spot any more so I'm thinking that a swarm isn't likely any time soon (I'm feeding but it's a new package and not crowded) If it does have a larva, It should still be there in a week shouldn't it? Or will the queen (which I did find) kill it? It's in the bottom box and I don't want to disrupt them again right away just to check unless there is a good reason.

The colony seems healthy and has plenty of stores and lots of brood, so If this did turn out to be a queen cell it would have a good chance to make a good queen wouldn't it? I'm not getting my hopes up, just trying to be prepared in case opportunity arises.

JP · June 20, 2009, 12:31:52 AM

That is a cup the bees decided not to use, even if a larvae was present its probably dead. Its way to small to be any good. I pulled one apart like that not too long ago and it was just a bunch of wax, a cup that was sealed over.

Now if they needed it, they could open it back up and draw it out at a later date.

...JP

David LaFerney · June 20, 2009, 01:13:28 AM

Quote from: JP on June 20, 2009, 12:31:52 AM
That is a cup the bees decided not to use, even if a larvae was present its probably dead. Its way to small to be any good. I pulled one apart like that not too long ago and it was just a bunch of wax, a cup that was sealed over.

Now if they needed it, they could open it back up and draw it out at a later date.

...JP

Good information. Nice fish.

JP · June 20, 2009, 01:20:17 AM

Not to go off topic but I ate red snapper last night, for lunch today and dinner tonight! Baked and stuffed with onions, shrimp and Italian bread crumbs, killer!

...JP

Robo · June 20, 2009, 07:41:35 AM

Quote from: David LaFerney on June 20, 2009, 12:18:07 AM

I don't know if there is a larva in it or not. I didn't spot it while I was doing the inspection, only later when I was looking at the pictures that my wife took. Then when I reexamined all of the pictures I didn't spot any more so I'm thinking that a swarm isn't likely any time soon (I'm feeding but it's a new package and not crowded) If it does have a larva, It should still be there in a week shouldn't it? Or will the queen (which I did find) kill it? It's in the bottom box and I don't want to disrupt them again right away just to check unless there is a good reason.

The colony seems healthy and has plenty of stores and lots of brood, so If this did turn out to be a queen cell it would have a good chance to make a good queen wouldn't it? I'm not getting my hopes up, just trying to be prepared in case opportunity arises.

My bet is it is empty, but if it does have an egg/larvae it is very young and would still be there in a week and be drawn out to a queen cell by then.

David LaFerney · June 20, 2009, 09:37:49 AM

Quote from: JP on June 20, 2009, 01:20:17 AM
Not to go off topic but I ate red snapper last night, for lunch today and dinner tonight! Baked and stuffed with onions, shrimp and Italian bread crumbs, killer!

...JP

Man, Eatin' and fishin' ain't never all that off topic.

beedad · June 20, 2009, 09:35:05 PM

i seem to have cups around all the time but usually they never get used.