I need some expert advice on supersedure.
Ten days ago I inspected one of my 3 hives and found no eggs or larvae - lots
of sealed brood. (I know I didn't kill the queen as I hadn't been in there in
3 weeks.)
 
I was afraid they'd just swarmed or were about to.  I waited 9 days & went
back (yesterday) -- still no eggs, but still some capped brood. I also
discovered two capped supersedure cells (laid across middle of comb) with a
lot of activity around them -- maybe they're about to hatch out?
 
One other curiosity -- an overabundance of drones --- like 20 or more on each
frame (usually I almost have to look for them), and lots of capped drone
cells, though in nice patterns, and plenty of worker cells also.
 
Questions:  was queen laying too many drones? -- did they opt to replace her?
-- do they kill her first? -- Otherwise what keeps her from killing
developing queens?
 
I'd be very appreciative of some insight from some of you "real" beekeepers.
Eugene Makovec
St. Louis