What do queen cells mean?

[Brian D. Bray]

This question is meant to institute a debate.  Does the locaton of the queen cells indicate whats happening in the hive?
Such as:
1. Queen cells along the bottom of the frame are usually refered to as swarm cells indicating a pending swarming frenzy with a root cause (i.e. overcrowding due to failure to super).
2. Queen cells in the center of the brood pattern indicate an emergency--replacing a dead queen or laying worker, or a supersedure.
3. Queen cells around the edges of the comb indicate are the normal swarm replacement mode and are nothing to be overly concerned about.
Lets hear your thoughts.  I would like to get a feel on how other beekeepers view this indicator.

[Michael Bush]

>This question is meant to institute a debate. Does the locaton of the queen cells indicate whats happening in the hive?

I've never heard a debate on the subject.  Other than pointing out rare exceptions it's a pretty well accepted rule.

>1. Queen cells along the bottom of the frame are usually refered to as swarm cells indicating a pending swarming frenzy with a root cause (i.e. overcrowding due to failure to super).

Yes cells on the bottom are almost always swarm cells (unless there are only a few and there are equal numbers or more of them up in the middle).  No, the root cause of swarming is NOT overcrowding due to failure to super.  This is ONE cause which usually happens later in the season than prime swarm seaons.  The root cause of swarming is that the bees have been planning to since last summer.  They stocked up enough stores to rear enough early brood to have enough bees and stores to afford (ecomnoically) to send off half the bees (the younger half) and the old queen to reproduce the hive.  Reproduction is the driving force of swarming.  Not overcrowding.  Overcrowding will cause a swarm also, but those kinds of swarms are easy to avoid by supering.  A reproductive swarm will not be detered by supering.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesswarmcontrol.htm

>2. Queen cells in the center of the brood pattern indicate an emergency--replacing a dead queen or laying worker, or a supersedure.

Cells about half to two thirds of the way up I would consider supercedure cells.  Possibly emergency, but probably not.  They are fairly consistent in their placement.  Emergency cells are scattered all over from top to bottom.  Supercedure and emergency cells are almost always fewer in number than swarm cells.

>3. Queen cells around the edges of the comb indicate are the normal swarm replacement mode and are nothing to be overly concerned about.

Any queen cell is something to be concerned about.  Maybe you mean an empty cup?  I would not consider an empty cup an queen cell.

[Brian D. Bray]

MB
Every swarm has a route cause, even if it's just the natural propigation of the species.  Failing to super and thus creating a crowded condition in the hive will result in late season swarms.  This is when a person is most likely to find the swarm cells along the bottom of the frames.

I guess  maybe it's all in how a person wants to look at things or interpret the data before them.  The point is that the location of the queen cells are your bees telling you the condiction of your hive just like brood pattern, % of drone comb, multiple eggs in a cell, etc.

[AdmiralD]

Any queen cell is something to be concerned about. Maybe you mean an empty cup? I would not consider an empty cup an queen cell.

Speaking of empty queen cells,....

does the hive ever take down the queen cell, ie refassion it inot  a drone or worker cell ? or does the keeper cut them out after use? or do you need to do anything with the empty queen cell?

[Summerbee]

I have heard from everyone around FL that cells on the bottom are for swarming, cells on top are for supercedure.  This didn't help me much when I found a cells smack in the middle of a frame; my queen was 2 years old and I assumed it was a supercedure.  Then I went back two weeks later and about a third, maybe half of the bees were gone.  Guess it was a swarm :?

[mat]

Check on this article
http://www.knology.net/~k4vb/ABJ%20Copies/BC%20July%2005.pdf

I do not have enough my own observations, but I love Walter Wright's theories on swarming. They are very logic, seem to bee supported by thorough observation, and a lot of things seem to be different then authorities believe.

[Michael Bush]

>Every swarm has a route cause, even if it's just the natural propigation of the species.

It's hard to call the urge to reproduce a root cause.  The need to reproduce is a forgone conclusion.

> Failing to super and thus creating a crowded condition in the hive will result in late season swarms.

Even early season swarms if you let them get crowded enough.  But you can pile the supers on as early as you like and it will not stop them from trying to do a reproductive swarm.

> This is when a person is most likely to find the swarm cells along the bottom of the frames.

I've never seen either a reproductive or an overcrowding swarm that didn't have the swarm cells on the botoms of the combs.

>I guess maybe it's all in how a person wants to look at things or interpret the data before them.

Interpret it however you like but if you think you can prevent swarming merely by keeping them supered your bees will swarm.

> The point is that the location of the queen cells are your bees telling you the condiction of your hive

Certainly.

>does the hive ever take down the queen cell

On occasion I've seen them change their mind on a supercedure.  But not on swarming.

>or does the keeper cut them out after use?

I don't.

> or do you need to do anything with the empty queen cell?

The only reason for removing an empty queen cell is so next time you'll know it happened since your last inspection.  It serves no other purpose.

[Brian D. Bray]

Even early season swarms if you let them get crowded enough. But you can pile the supers on as early as you like and it will not stop them from trying to do a reproductive swarm.

This is the point I was trying to get to.