Toots Posted May 24, 2010 Share Posted May 24, 2010 Hi guys, Is finding a couple of play cups in a super normal? about 3 frames in, the rest of the frame is almost totally drawn out foundation, and mostly filled (although not capped) the cups are fairly central on the frame. oh its last years queen from a nuc i got this year Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 24, 2010 Share Posted May 24, 2010 Is there a queen excluder fitted? Regards, RAB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toots Posted May 25, 2010 Author Share Posted May 25, 2010 yes there is an excluder fitted I have had a good look in all the super frames and there is definatly no sign of eggs just the 2 play cups? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 I found some of these in the super with an egg in each when I checked over my mentor's hives. We found the queen, in the brood box, big and fat. There was no way she could have got through the excluder. I was told that the worker bees sometimes move the eggs over Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenanne Posted June 9, 2010 Share Posted June 9, 2010 I've been told the same as you, OSH! Also, that bees don't understand queen excluders - so they will prepare cells in the super for her to lay in (so I assume would also make queen cells) in the super occasionally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted June 14, 2010 Share Posted June 14, 2010 Whats a play cup? I don't remember being told about these Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted June 14, 2010 Share Posted June 14, 2010 Whats a play cup? I don't remember being told about these Have you got Hooper? He calls them incipient queen cells. There's a picture in the book. They are a bit bigger than a capped drone cell, open and point downwards. They are usually empty but sometimes you will find an egg as the queen will lay in them. That is insignificant as a worker will usually go tut tut and move it. They are normal and mean nothing unless there is a larva present when they are an indication of the bees raising a new queen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted June 14, 2010 Share Posted June 14, 2010 Ah - I didn't realise they had a name - we were told to look for 'acorns' in the early stages followed by 'peanuts' in the fully formed stage! Having seen plenty of the former and some of the latter, they are one of the few things which has finally registered with me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toots Posted June 21, 2010 Author Share Posted June 21, 2010 forgot to post the answer to what my mentour told me about the cups in the super. Because the brood is circular (maybe too liittle space could have been an isue as well) the workers expect to be using part of the super for brood but don't knoe the queen can't get there! Maybe another reason for bigger brood box! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
