Possible queen cups

Boudibee · August 05, 2021, 10:00:41 PM

Hi All.
unsure if someone can help. We just open to check our hive and found at the bottom of on of the frames what after some online research looks like queen cups. [attachment=1][/attachment][attachment=0][/attachment][attachment=0][/attachment]
Could any help with a correct information and a possible "what to do" solution. Hopefully you will be able to see the attached images. Thank you.[attachment=0][/attachment][attachment=1][/attachment]

.30WCF · August 05, 2021, 10:23:57 PM

All I see is mostly capped drone brood.

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.30WCF · August 05, 2021, 10:27:37 PM

Queen cups are usually more vertically oriented and bulb shaped.
Capped queen cells are extra long and are vertical or droop down if they are started from a normal cell.
Drone cells do get a little disorganized looking since they usually are not following the pattern on the foundation and they need to make the cells bigger than what is imprinted on the foundation.

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Ben Framed · August 05, 2021, 10:40:12 PM

Welcome to Beemaster Boudibee. I do not see any queen cells unless the bees are covering them from view. The brood cells that are pictured in the lower right hand corner are capped drone. At the top I see capped honey. I have a question what is in the cells in between? I do not see any capped worker cells anywhere on this frame. Do you have capped worker cells on other frames in this hive? You should have frames covered with bees, eggs, larva as well as capped brood in your country this time of year being it is Spring? Parramatta, NSW is located in Australia correct?

Ben Framed · August 06, 2021, 12:05:45 AM

Quote from: .30WCF on August 05, 2021, 10:23:57 PM
All I see is mostly capped drone brood.

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I agree 30. Same here.

Ben Framed · August 06, 2021, 12:06:46 AM

Quote from: .30WCF on August 05, 2021, 10:27:37 PM
Queen cups are usually more vertically oriented and bulb shaped.
Capped queen cells are extra long and are vertical or droop down if they are started from a normal cell.
Drone cells do get a little disorganized looking since they usually are not following the pattern on the foundation and they need to make the cells bigger than what is imprinted on the foundation.

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Yes all true, adding, a capped queen cell will look kind of like a peanut.. The drone cells shown will have the distinct bullet shape as shown in the pictures.

AustinB · August 06, 2021, 09:13:15 AM

Boudibee - welcome to beemaster. Here is a picture I got from the web showing drone vs queen cells. Unless there are eggs or young larvae in those other cells, I'd be more concerned about why they are empty (not saying they are, hard to tell from the picture)
[attachment=0][/attachment]

van from Arkansas · August 07, 2021, 04:22:33 PM

AustinB: nice clear pic, illustrated no less. Thanks for posting.

BeeMaster2 · August 07, 2021, 09:24:51 PM

Welcome to Beemaster Boudibee.
Hard to tell what is covered in bees. If there is a large vertical peanut in the middle of the bees than it is a queen cell.
Next time use your finger or hive tool to lightly move the bees. If you cannot it is probably a queen cell.
Jim Altmiller