Glossary
A specially constructed, large, peanut-shaped wax cell in which a new queen bee develops. Queen cells hang vertically from the comb and are roughly an inch long, dramatically larger than the horizontal worker or drone cells surrounding them.
Finding queen cells during an inspection is always significant, but the type of cell tells you very different stories about what the colony is planning.
Swarm cells are built along the bottom edges and margins of frames. They are typically numerous (5 to 20 or more) and indicate the colony is preparing to swarm: the existing queen will leave with half the workers, and the new queen emerging from these cells will head the remaining colony. Finding swarm cells with larvae or capped pupae means swarming is imminent, often within days.
Supersedure cells appear on the face of the comb, typically numbering only 1 to 3. They indicate the colony has detected a failing queen (declining pheromone output, reduced laying, physical damage) and is raising a replacement without swarming. Supersedure is a repair mechanism, not a reproductive event.
Emergency queen cells are built when a queen dies or disappears suddenly. Workers hastily convert existing worker cells containing very young larvae (under 3 days old) by flooding them with royal jelly and tearing down surrounding cells to create room. Emergency cells appear as rough, irregularly shaped protrusions on the face of the comb, and multiple cells are built wherever suitable-age larvae happened to be located.
Queen cups are small, empty, acorn-shaped wax structures that many colonies maintain as permanent fixtures. They look like the beginning of a queen cell but contain no egg or larva. Queen cups are "practice runs" or ready-made templates that the colony can use quickly if a queen cell is needed. Their presence alone does not indicate imminent swarming or supersedure. Only when a queen cup contains an egg, larva, or is capped should you consider it an active queen cell.
Destroying swarm cells is a temporary fix at best. If the colony's swarming impulse is strong (overcrowding, vigorous queen), they will simply build new cells. More effective swarm prevention involves providing space, performing splits, or managing ventilation. Destroying supersedure cells is never recommended.
An open queen cell with a small larva floating in royal jelly has 8-10 days before a queen emerges. A capped queen cell (sealed with a textured wax cap) is 1 to 8 days from emergence. An open queen cell with a cleanly cut opening at the bottom means a queen has already emerged.
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