Hi everyone, I'm new to beekeeping in Pune. During my last inspection I found a few queen cups at the bottom of the frames. The colony seems strong with plenty of brood. Should I take action now or wait?
Queen cups alone aren't a reason to panic. Check if they contain eggs or larvae. If they're empty, it's often just preparation. Look for signs of congestion — crowded frames, lots of drones, or a reduced laying pattern from the queen.
I had the same situation last month. Adding a second brood box gave them space and the cups stayed empty. Also make sure ventilation is good — heat stress can trigger swarm preparations.
Thanks for the tips! I'll add a super this weekend and keep an eye on the queen cups. Appreciate the quick responses from this community.
A few notes on how Be My Bees works, what we cover, and the boundaries we keep so every conversation stays practical, honest, and useful for beginners and experienced keepers alike.
Any space — a balcony, a rooftop, a backyard patch, or a community plot — that provides nectar and pollen for bees and other pollinators. It does not need to be large or perfectly landscaped. A few native flowering plants in pots count, as long as they bloom across seasons and are kept free of synthetic pesticides.
Our forum is built around Indian climates, flowering cycles, and common hive pests, but anyone is welcome to join. If you keep bees in a similar tropical or subtropical region, you will find most of the advice relevant. For questions specific to other regions, we ask members to mention their location so replies stay accurate.
No. Be My Bees is a knowledge-sharing platform, not a veterinary or apiary service. We share inspection routines, swarm prevention methods, and natural pest control ideas, but we do not diagnose diseases or prescribe treatments remotely. For sick or weak colonies, we recommend contacting a local experienced beekeeper or an agricultural extension officer.
We cover extraction techniques, equipment, and hygiene basics for home harvests. Selling honey, however, is outside our scope. Local food safety rules and labelling requirements vary by state, so we do not offer guidance on commercial sales. For that, check with your state's food safety authority.
Regional meetups are member-led. Be My Bees provides a space to announce gatherings, share photos, and coordinate logistics, but we do not organise or host events ourselves. If you want to start a meetup in your city, create a post and see who is nearby.
Beekeeping practices vary by region, hive type, and personal experience. When members disagree, we encourage them to explain the context behind their advice — climate, bee species, or equipment — rather than dismiss another approach. The goal is to help everyone make an informed decision for their own setup.
Short notes from the forum — what changed in their hives, their gardens, and their confidence with the bees.
“Followed the monthly inspection checklist from the beginner guide. Caught a queen cup early, did a split, and kept both colonies strong through the monsoon. First time I didn’t lose a hive to swarming.”
Urvashi Arvind Parekh — rooftop keeper, Jamnagar“The native plant list changed my whole garden. I swapped exotic ornamentals for local flowering shrubs, and within two months the hive visits tripled. My okra yield went up too.”
Nishtha Kar — urban gardener, Bengaluru“Asked about dearth period feeding in the forum. Got three different practical answers, tried the sugar syrup with lemongrass, and the colony stayed calm until the nectar flow returned.”
Ramesh Iyer — backyard beekeeper, Pune“The photo documentation thread helped me spot chalkbrood early. Cleaned the frames, improved ventilation, and the next inspection showed fresh brood patterns. Simple fix, huge relief.”
Meera Nair — new beekeeper, Kochi“Regional meetup in Nashik was worth the drive. Saw how others manage hive stands for the heat, and learned a natural mite check using powdered sugar. My bees are healthier now.”
Arjun Deshmukh — hobbyist, Nashik“Used the queen rearing notes to raise two queens from my best colony. Both mated successfully, and the new hives are calmer and more productive. The step-by-step photos made it doable.”
Farah Khan — small apiary, Lucknow