Queen cups vs queen cells

[doak]

After a few years of beekeeping you will learn to recognize the difference between queen cells and queen cups. There will always be queen "cups"  mostly along the bottom of the frame.
These can be left alone, they are there in waiting for a quick start in case the bees need them all of a sudden.

Just thought I would make this a topic of it's own so those who might have missed this discussion
in some other post, If it has been brought up.

Just another excuse to use my high speed internet. ;)doak

[BenC]

queen cups just look round to me.  As soon as they get a little tall/ oval, or the edge looks like it's being worked or there are bees sticking their heads in, I know something's up.

[kathyp]

seems some hives just like to make queen cells.  wanted to make a nuc today and went to my hive that always seems to have queen cells.  sure enough, found queen cups, but also two nice fat queen cells closed, and a couple almost closed.  funny thing is, this hive has never swarmed, but who knows how many queens it's gone through....  go figure.

now i wish i'd taken pics.  they were perfect examples of the difference.

[doak]

If the side is building up you can hold it up high enough to look into it and you should be able to see any contents/royal jelly/egg/larvae. Then you know it is happening. This is the time to remove it if you are going to. don't wait till it is capped. If you do they may have already swarmed and there will be no eggs for starting another. Then you will be hopelessly queen less. :)doak

[njtoo]

I am new to beekeeping and LOVE IT. I found a sealed queen cell today and carefully cut it out to take home an examine it. I looked through it with a light and see nothing. Does this mean it's an empty cell? Do bees seal empty queen cells? I examined it very carefully and there are absolutely no openings where anything hatched.

Thanks for a reply from anyone.

[doak]

You should not remove a capped cell unless you are sure the hive hasn't swarmed.
Then make sure there is more than one capped cell. You could be come queen less very very quick.
Now, don't that again. O.K.
Serious doak