They Killed the Queen

[HBW1412]

Hello Everyone,

I got my two packages of bees on Monday.  I installed them around 7pm that night.  The Queens in both packages looked to be doing well.  I did not direct release the queens.  I instead poked a hole in the sugar candy and hung the cages between bars 4 and 5 in each hive.  

Today, I went to remove the queen cages in both hives.  I started to wait another day, but many of you suggest direct release so I figured waiting wasn't going to make them accept the queen any better and I wanted to correct any off comb before it got bad.

Both hives seemed to be doing great looking from the outside with plenty of bees coming and going.  On the inside, both built beautiful white comb (these are top bar hives) on several bars.  One hive had built the comb slightly crooked so before I made the comb adjustment I removed the queen cage and she was still inside so I removed the corked end to let her out.  When I placed the queen cage back into the hive with the cork removed the bees attacked the queen.  They fell to the bottom of the hive in a ball eventually working there way out on the landing board still in the ball around the queen.

Being new to this I didn't bother them because at the time I didn't think they were attacking.  I just thought they had gathered around her doing "bee business".  Well, about 15 minutes went by and the ball had just about dispersed but, the queen was laying there on the landing board curled up DEAD.  

Now, the other hive still looks the same.  It's orderly and the bees are again going in and out of the hive as if I had never been there.  The hive that attacked the queen looks to be in chaos.  They have covered the outside of the hive around the entrance and have not returned to collecting pollen.  

I am unfamiliar with bee behavior.  Does it sound like this one hive didn't accept the queen and killed her or does it sound like there was another queen in the package already?  If there was a queen in there how long would it be before they all go back to their normal routine after killing the caged queen?

I looked for the other queen, but did not see one.

Thanks for all your help in advance!!

UPDATE - I went back and looked at the hive that killed the package queen.  It has been almost exactly one hour.  There are now many more bees on the outside of the hive than and hour ago.  What should I do??

[AllenF]

Were the bees all over the queen cage before you released?   Was the hive getting robbed (were you feeding them)?   Could the hive have another queen that was shook in the package with the worker bees and they liked her better? (2 queen in the hive)

  Give them a day.

[HBW1412]

Yes, The bees were all over the Queen cage before I released her - in fact there were so many I could hardly see the Queen Cage.  I am feeding them sugar water with honey-B-healthy.  The feeder is on the outside of the hive.  I have seen only two ants at the feeder.  It is possible that there is another queen, but I looked for about 10 minutes for one and could not see her.  I didn't want to leave the hive open any longer than that.  There are a lot of bees on the outside of the hive now.  Before, there were only a few bees around the feeder, but lots going in and out of the hive - not just clustered around the entrance like they are now.

After killing a second queen if that is the case - do the bees normally gather around the entrance for a while?  I would think if there were another queen they would go back to business as usual very quickly.

Thank you.

[organicfarmer]

Yes i would think if they have a 'first' queen they'd go back to the previous bee-havior after balling the 'second' queen.
If your TBH are same construction, transfer a frame when you see eggs/young larvae, in a few days. Give the time for that queen to start business. Make sure you dont transfer the queen with the frame.
Or you can quickly order another queen.

[njoylife10]

Bummer.  Sounds like there might be another queen in there.  Wait a few days, then look for eggs, would be my advice.  Hope it all works out.

njoylife10