Hello All

Matthew Westall wrote re the above. I am wondering if Matthew is looking at
supersedure cells since they are so few in number, and if they were swarm
cells, the swarm would normally be gone when the first queen cell was sealed.

If they are supersedure cells then I would leave them alone as the bees have
decided to replace the queen. The fact that the hive is too small to split
seems to reinforce the possibility that you have a failing queen.

You could also give one or two of the cells to nucs or apideas if you wished
to raise some queens, given of course that you are happy with the queens in
the hives concerned. I have read somewhere that supersedure queen cells (all
other things being equal), turn into good queens.

Sincerely

Tom Barrett
49 South Park, Foxrock
Dublin 18
Ireland
Tel + 353 1 289 5269
Fax + 353 1 289 9940