Package Help

[billdean]

I installed a 3 pound package with the queen on April 29th with all drawn comb and 8 frame medium. I direct released the queen and she started to lay immediately. Four days later she had 3 frames of brood and the other comb was full of nectar. I added another box. She stared to lay in the second box. Today I was going to steal a frame of eggs from the hive to help out another hive and noticed that there was a capped queen swarm cell hanging off the bottom of one of the frames. I am not sure what to do here. The queen that is in there is doing a great job so I don't want to loose her but its still a 3 pound package of bees that has not even saw their first brood hatch out. Not enough bees to split or is there? Any ideas?

[BeeMaster2]

It is quite common for package queens to be superceded within a month or so. Not sure if these are supersedure cells or swarm cells. They sound like swarm cells.
Jim

[Bush_84]

I understand that swarm cells typically hang off the bottom however you also have to take the whole picture into consideration. This is a new package. Not likely strong enough to swarm unless the are nectar bound. Also if there is only one (op gave the impression it was just one) then it?s not likely to be a swarm cell. A single cell hanging off the bottom is more likely to be supersedure than swarm in my very humble opinion. Often times (sometimes to my own detriment) I prefer to watch and wait. If this were me I?d watch and wait.

[moebees]

If it were me I would split.  That way you either end up with two hives out of the deal or if the virgin doesn't make it back from mating you can recombine and be now worse for wear.  But watching in waiting is ok too if you don't want more hives.  My idea with bees in today's world is always go with the option that makes more colonies.

[BeeMaster2]

Where was the swarm cell located, on the bottom of the frame board or was it at the bottom of the comb? If it was the latter, it probably bee a supersedure cell. If that is the case, you will probably end up with a mother daughter hive with both laying side by side.
Jim

[billdean]

Well I do have some time before I make a decision. Maybe 5 or 6 days. It is just one queen cell. If I leave everything alone in the hive for 4 more days and then split, both parts of the split should benefit immediately with more brood and both gain some strength back. If they do swarm I loose out. It seemed to have been a heavy 3 pound package or they gain some bees from the drifting from the other packages I installed at the same time. The cell was on the bottom of the comb.

[iddee]

They do not make one only swarm cell. It is a supercedure cell. The queen in a package is not the mother of the bees and they will replace her more often than not. Leave it as is.

[billdean]

Thanks Iddee form your advice. Thats what I will do

They do not make one only swarm cell. It is a supercedure cell. The queen in a package is not the mother of the bees and they will replace her more often than not. Leave it as is.

[GSF]

Thanks Iddee, learnt sumtin nuw.

That does seem to make sense, supercedure is something packages are infamous for.