Greetings all,
     Today, I went out to check a swarm that I collected 1 1/2 months ago.
Last weekend, I checked it, and figured that it would need a second deep
body this weekend.  There was also evidence of early swarm activity.  The
colony is not that big yet, cause it was a small swarm to begin with.  When
I got there, I opened the hive and began to check frame by frame.  I found
one frame with a capped swarm cell, which yes, I did cut.  On the next frame
was a sight that made me take a closer look!  There were two capped queen
cells, side by side, and the original hive queen chewing the wax on one of
the cells.  She was totally oblivious to the fact that the frame was out of
the hive, and that I was watching her closely!  It appears that she had
opened a small slit in the top of the cell, and was chewing a hole in the
side of the cell.   She paid me no attention for at least five minutes.
There were other bees around her, but they did not appear to be helping her.
I made the mistake of breathing on the frame, and she scurried to the other
side.  I took my pocket knife, and inded, she had begun to open the cell.
The queen inside was not close to being developed. I cut the second ceel out
as well. The question that I have is was she trying to kill those rival
queens and prevent a swarm?  It was a sight to watch, because she worked so
dilligently at it! I was hoping to see what would happen, but she would not
return . Though the hive had only 5 fully drawn frames, and the rest 3/4 or
less drawn, I went ahead and added the second body, and moved two frames of
brood up.  Ok folks, do you think this activity with the queen and the
second body will prevent them from swarming?  If they do swarm, both will be
very weak, and I doubt they will survive long.
Thanks all!
Scott
" I believe that beekeeping mirrors life.  One must endure a few stings to
reach the final sweet reward."  S. Moser