swarm cells already

[davis]

I have a hive that was requeened in the fall, and fed1:1 syrup since early January when the pollen contest started. Three weeks ago when I checked it, there was some brood in each of three deeps. I rotated all three.

Today I opened it again, the queen was in the top super. The other two supers both had swarm cells.
I was rushed for time, but I put a bottom board and a cover on each super and called it a three-way "split" and left.

Is this gonna work?
Will field bees return evenly to each of the three supers in a row?
Are they going to swarm anyway?
--Davis

[HarryVanderpool]

WOW!!
There are so many variables here, I can very easyly give you some very BOGUS advice.
First of all, no matter what, you need to feed your splits sugar syrup until they are up to fending for their self.
Next; please describe the queen cells that you saw.
Where were they on the frames?
How many cells did you see?
Were they sealed? Are you sure?
Do you see drones in your hives?
Do you have other beekeepers around your place?
I have heard of one swarm already this year. Amazing, isn't it?

[davis]

The queen cells are on the bottoms of the frames.
I think I saw three or four (all unsealed) in both the bottom and middle deeps, so that's why I separated them from the top deep, which is where I spotted the marked queen.
I didn't really know what I was looking for, but at least one of the queen cells had (presumably) royal jelly up in it.
There is sealed drone brood.
Another hive is less than 100 yards of here (West Salem "flats") if it overwintered. I haven't talked to that guy yet this spring.