Fake Queen Cells?

Hethen57 · April 26, 2010, 01:43:17 PM

How do the bees use those empty queen cells that they often build in a queenright hive? I have read that it is normal to find queen sells (uncapped and apparently empty) that the bees just build....but I was wondering how they get the queen to lay in them or if they will transfer an egg or 3 day larva to them if they need to use them, or if it is just to practice building them?

Jim134 · April 26, 2010, 02:42:42 PM

Are you looking at queen cells or queen cups ???

BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

Hethen57 · April 26, 2010, 02:58:25 PM

Sorry...queen cups..

doak · April 26, 2010, 03:54:24 PM

Cups will almost always be present. :)doak

Hethen57 · April 26, 2010, 04:41:33 PM

I was just curious if they can turn them into something they use to make a queen, or if they are just for show..(indicating to the queen "you can be replaced at anytime if we wanted to" :-D)

Michael Bush · April 27, 2010, 01:08:24 AM

Doolittle used to cut them out and use them for queen cells for grafting...

applebwoi · April 27, 2010, 01:28:13 AM

Same question as Hethern57, what are the cups for? I've tried to get a queenless hive to make a new queen and found some cups on the side of a frame the other day with larve inside but they weren't on the frame of eggs and brood I introduced so I'm at a loss??