Two weeks ago I started my first hive by purchasing a nuc here in Southern New Jersey. I transfered them to a 10 frame deep super (Brushy Mtn. starter kit). Every few days a take a peek and fill the feeder if necessary.
One week ago I did an inspection and saw LOTS of capped brood and some larvae. They also built out a couple of my wax frames.
Today I did an inspection and saw A LOT LESS capped brood. Kind of spotty. I didn't see any larvae. I didn't see any eggs, but todays weather is very cloudy and it ever began raining as I was closing things up. So I don't know if eggs were there, but I was just too nervous to see them. (If I didn't check today I wouldn't have been able to for another week.
I also see a lot of nectar, some pollen and some capped honey.
I was thinking that the queen may have died or something, but on the last frame I pulled, I saw her.
How could she be a good laying queen two weeks ago, but now she stinks?
Any thoughts?
Thanks in advance for sharing your knowledge.
-Tim
>How could she be a good laying queen two weeks ago, but now she stinks?
Probably still is--- give her time. Will only produce the amount of brood they are ready to raise!!!! They usually work on their time table not ours :-D.
Give her time to adapt to her new surroundings.
Long shot here, but is it possible that the queen you got in the nuc is a virgin queen and that the bees and brood you got with it were from adifferent queen?
I guess it's possible. I also realized that the single deep super is about 80% drawn out now. It may have been all full of nector. I'll be adding another deep as soon as the weather clears up and looking again for signs of eggs and larvae.
Thanks. Having this site is like adding years of beekeeping experience.