Thanks, Bob. I went through another 30 hives today, and the pattern continued. There were swarm cells in just under half the hives that were single brood chambers. I must say, that in two of the double brood boxes, there were also queen cells, so I'm still half inclined to blame the mustard pollen, as per local opinion/wisdom. But another question, if the list will permit. I want more hives, and I love the method I discovered here, the "side by side split". I have limited time to devote to my bees, and rather than look through every hive with queen cells, I did side by side splits with several. Specifically, I made sure there were a few queen cells in each of the splits. Now, do any of you have opinions on whether or not the young queen I introduced in December will tear apart the queen cells in her hive, now that there is lots of space in the new brood chamber? Thanks Tim :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::