A queen cup is a natural structure built by honeybees, often in the spring, and is a precursor to queen cell development within a beehive.
Understanding Queen Cups
Queen cups are the initial stages of what could become a queen cell. Here’s a breakdown:
- Definition: A small, cup-shaped structure made of beeswax, typically found on the edges or bottom of a honeycomb frame.
- Purpose: Bees often build these cups, but they don't always mean the colony is preparing to swarm or replace the queen. Sometimes, they are simply part of the hive's natural architecture.
- Occurrence: According to the YouTube video "What Is A Queen Cup? Is It A Queen Cell?", queen cups are a natural part of the hive that honey bees often build in spring.
- What to do: According to the YouTube video, if you discover frames with an open cup, in most cases removing them is unnecessary; the colony will rebuild them in days.
In essence, finding queen cups in a hive isn't necessarily a cause for alarm.
