Queen cells.

[Luckyparrot]

 Five to six weeks ago I set up a trapout far away from my house, so I didn't have much time to visit it. Today I came to check it and found out that there is only three fames of bees and the bees were very alert that as soon as I opened the box many of them flew out. I didn't see any egg but I saw some capped broods with about ten queen cells on them. Could it be that the frame of eggs I placed in there didn't produce any queen, but some how the worker bee(s) laid drone eggs and then the bees capped the eggs to raise their queen? Do the bees, out of desperation, make queen from drone eggs? I'm just hopping that somehow the real queen got killed or flew away. Can you guys tell from the pics that the eggs are fertilized? http://picasaweb.google.com/Luckyparrot2009/Queencells#5373745303574201554 

[Michael Bush]

No can tell by looking at an egg if it's fertilized, and yes, they will try to rear queens from drone eggs if they are desperate, but what I'm seeing is a nice solid patch of worker brood indicative of fertile queen laying them, so I'm guessing the queen cells are fertilized as well.

[Grandma_DOG]

My bet is they are viable queen cells. Brood is homogeneous.

[Luckyparrot]

Thanks for the feedbacks. I'll check the box again in about 4 weeks and update you guys .

[Cheryl]

Is the trapout box within easy walking distance - for the queen - from the original entrance? If so, it is possible that she walked into the box. I know that's an ideal scenario... we wish all trapouts would end that way!!

[Luckyparrot]

Cheryl, the cone almost touches the entrance of the box. The bees can literally walk into the box. You never know, may be the queen did just that!