I recently installed a 3# package of bees (4-18-98) into a new hive. The bees were slow to release the queen, releasing her 6 days after hiving them. Upon her release she immediately began to lay and created a nice brood pattern on one half of a frame. Subsequent checks of this hive I could not locate any additional eggs or other queenly activity. Today I opened the hive and discovered at least a dozen queen cells on the face of one frame. Most of the cells contained larvae and one contained a newly laid egg. Now I do not believe the hive intends to swarm as they still have 4 frames of foundation they have not touched. This only leaves supersedure. I have not seen the queen recently however the presence of the new egg in the queen cell indicates she is still present within the hive. Should I leave the cells and allow the hive to re- queen themselves? Or should I destroy all the cells and see if the existing queen improves ? ____________________________________________ [log in to unmask]