Charged queen cups discharged!

[Myfamily&otheranimals]

Yesterday inspected my queen less hive on day 7 to check for emergency queen cells of which there were 4 sealed, one unsealed and 5 queen cups of which I am sure 2 were charged having royal jelly and a larva in. As the colony was large I decided I would make up a nuc with a frame containing 2 of the sealed queen cells. Not having the equipment ready I went back today to do the split.

The queen cups were today empty, had I been seeing things, find it hard to believe, or can and do the bees empty charged queen cups sometimes?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Not only will they do that but they will tear down queen cells if they change their minds about swarming.

 

[enrico]

Yep, sometimes you can leave what seems like a big juicy queen cell, and then on closer inspection you can see the bottom has been ripped open and in fact it is empty, hence a good reason to leave one with larvae . There are several reasons why they might do it but it is no good them going into full swarm mode if weather is wrong, or indeed if another queen cell has emerged. Hope that isn't the case with yours!
E

 

[Swarm]

What about the sealed ones?

 

[Myfamily&otheranimals]

Cheers, I feel better, thought I was imagining things but was quite certain 24 hrs earlier there were juicy larva swimming in royal jelly in two of the cups, the sealed queen cells were all intact so was still able to split the colony. Presumably because the bees were happy with the sealed emergency queen cells (day 7) they destroyed the queen cups. Would have preferred to do a split leaving charged queen cups but fingers crossed all will be well.

 

[enrico]

In theory they would not be queen cups at that stage. A queen cup or play cup looks more like an acorn shell, generally as soon as the egg is laid if not before they extend that queen cup out to a queen cell shape. I only say this as it may be confusing some new beekeepers.
Queen cups are usually just that, with nothing in them. Queen cells are larger. ,
E

 

[oliver90owner]

Yesterday inspected my queen less hive on day 7 to check for emergency queen cells

Thread does not really make a great deal of sense. A check after seven days on a Q- hive would not have anything less than 4th day development as larvae (after hatching at day three) and would be almost ready to be capped, so not exactly queen 'cups' by that stage?

 

[blackie]

me to he said emergency qc not swarm cells im confused now

 

[RogueDrone]

Making increases therefore queen will have been moved / split. Q- colony make emergency queens. Not sure of the state of sealed cells, go to use open loaded cups. I error distroys sealed cells and finds previously loaded cups empty