They would rather build queen cells then pull comb.

[Yankee11]

I don't get it. I am finding capped queen cells in almost all of my hives. Most have have plenty of room, if you include foundation.

Here is my theory,

It has been a stupid winter here, It would warm up for a week or two so then we would get cold weather for several days. What it looks like to me is that it has not been warm enough for the bees to want to pull comb, but warm enough spells for the queen to lay. Looks like she has laid everything that is available to lay in and now they are out of room. Now it's warm enough and the flow is starting so the queen is ready to lay full speed and has nowhere to lay.

Ive tried putting the foundation between drawn frames, splitting brood between upper and lower deeps.

This is frustrating, I can't just split every hive that has capped queen cells. Will never have Honey.

[LazyBkpr]

Are you feeding Yankee?
  I posted this in another thread. five days with nothing but what I have fed them and they got this far.

   



 with mid 20's at night and mid 40's during the day I didnt expect them to do much so seeing this was a good surprise. Supposed to be mid 60's with above freezing nights for the next few days so hoping they will do even better.

  I wish I could be more help.. trying to think what I would do in your situation, but we have different goals. I would pull out a light split and give them comb back, but apparently you don't have any to spare.. If I didnt want to expand I would still pull brood and either give it to a weak hive or uncap the frame and give it back to them. Make them think twice about swarming.
   At least if you pull a nuc and the hive still swarms you could re combine the nuc, keeping the queen option you liked best.

[Yankee11]

I'm trying to do both. Grow and have honey. I would like to set aside 8 or so hives for honey and split the other 8 or 9.

But at this rate it's all gonna be splits.

What I want to do on the Honey production hives is remove the queen and 2 frames of brood. Them leave them with 2 queen cells to requeen. BUT,the  2  I looked in today were very strong. Found 8 or 10 capped queen cells but could not find the queen. No eggs and no larva, lots of capped brood. So, I harvested or destroyed all but 2 capped cells. I will look again for queen tomorrow but I should have seen eggs or larva today. Makes me think she is already gone. if so, she sure didn't take many bees with her.

[LazyBkpr]

If the cells are capped it is possible the original queen has already left.

   When it comes to bees all we can do is our best.  We try to catch them before they think about swarming, if were too late we jutst try to minimize any collateral damage.

[Yankee11]

I here ya lazy. Thanks

[Woody Roberts]

Have you tried giving them a frame or two of foundationless. My bees will stall out on foundation but would go at an empty frame like coyote pups on a deer carcass.

[LazyBkpr]

Have you tried giving them a frame or two of foundationless. My bees will stall out on foundation but would go at an empty frame like coyote pups on a deer carcass.

   I will back him up on that statement.