Supercedure Cells

[Parksguyy]

Hello everyone,
Second year Cdn Beek here ... 4 hives came thru our winter fine and have been doing well since ... despite a later spring and now cooler, wet weather.  This week we are into a major heat wave and humidity big time.   I've been checking the hives everyweek, for fear of swarming.  Have increased the ventilation on all the hives, and added honey supers about 3wks ago ... up until this week, there was no action despite lots of bees in them.  Saturday morning I found drawn comb and honey in the honey supers finally ... as was recommended I am not using an excluder. 

Sorry for the preamble ... during Saturdays inspection I found a number of supercedure cells in Hive #3 ... which has always been a very large healthy hive.  On each side of this particular frame, there were 5 supercedures cells.  I did something I likely shouldn't have and that was to destroy those cells.  After I got home and did some more reading, I likely should have left them well alone.  This is where I need some advice ... its my understanding that the hive by way of bulding these cells ... has for some reason to believe something is wrong with their queen.  Up until now, the hive was doing well .... could I have injured or killed her last week during my inspection?  I did spot a queen, but for the life of me I can't remember if she was in this hive or Hive #4.  Either way, I've got this hive reacting to something no right.   So, what do I do now ... will the hive produce more supercedure cells now?  I'm hoping it will and if so, I will leave them alone and let nature take its course.  I am correct to think this way?  Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks
     

[iddee]

I would go into it 5 days after Sat. and look for eggs or queen cells. If either are found, all is well. If neither are found, steal a frame with eggs from another hive and add to #3.

[Michael Bush]

>I did something I likely shouldn't have and that was to destroy those cells

Yes.  Bad idea.

> its my understanding that the hive by way of bulding these cells ... has for some reason to believe something is wrong with their queen.

Yes.

> Up until now, the hive was doing well .... could I have injured or killed her last week during my inspection?

You could have, but I would not assume that.  They probably don't like her pheromones and sense that she is about to fail or she doesn't make enough pheromones to keep the colony satisfied.