>> Can anyone explain how the cells got out there on bare  foundation?

> I assume this was a split, and you are asking how eggs got out
> there? Either the original queen placed them there, OR they were
> moved  there.  Begs the question, do honey bees ever move eggs?

 > http://honeybeeworld.com/diary/images/2013/IMG_20130713_134403.jpg

I have seen young queens lay eggs over the surface of an undrawn sheet
of foundation when it is placed in the middle of the brood nest.
I assume that is what happened here.  After the trauma of splitting, I 
assume that the other eggs disappeared.

Looking more closely at the picture, the lower cell looks a little bit
narrow, but pretty normal, and both look as if the bees have begun to
remove some wax near the bottom.

Both cells look better than some cells I have been sold and given.  They 
are quite a decent size and shape for cells found in walk-away splits.

Many pros consider smaller cells acceptable, however, when raising 
queens by grafting, etc., these are about as small as I like to see.

The real test is how much extra food is no the cell and with natural 
cells it is hard to tell.  With Jayzee Beezee cells, it is easy as the 
base is transparent.

The reason we like to see big cells is that large size means that a lot 
of bees worked on them and odds are high that they are good, and 
well-provisioned.
---

Allen Dick
Swalwell, Alberta, Canada
51°33'37.58"N  113°18'54.24"W
Semi-retired - 40+ years keeping bees - 4,500 hives max
Currently running 80 hives
Hives for sale year-round
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/

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