As a new beekeeper with energetic girls, I’ve had plenty of opportunities to learn the difference. Now predicting what happens when a hive starts building these cells is anyone’s guess…. but here’s what look like and where you can find ‘em on the comb.

In a Top Bar Hive:

• Swarm cells are typically built on the edge, side, or bottom of a comb.
• Supercedure cells are typically built smack in the middle of the comb.

2 capped swarm cells, built on the edge of the comb

Queen cup (left) and capped supercedure cell (right), both built in the middle of the comb.

In a Langstroth Hive:

Things are slightly different in a Langstroth hive, but here’s a useful discussion indicating that in a Langstroth:

• Supercedure cells are typically built in the top half of a frame. See photo of a supercedure cell in a Langstroth.
• Swarm cells are typically built in the bottom half of a frame. See photo of a swarm cell in a Langstroth.

• For the summer, should we remove the bottom board leaving only a screened bottom?
• Do drones buzz louder than worker bees?
• Is it possible that workers built a supercedure cell but didn’t move an egg into it?
• Do bees like cacti? They’re not on most lists of bee-friendly garden plants, but in the Southwest we’ve plenty.

If any of you bee sages out there have answers, I’m all ears.