Emergency...DEAD QUEEN

funbee1 · June 14, 2012, 07:23:06 PM

I need advice. Today I went over and looked at my three hives and I noticed a small cluster of bees on the ground in front of my weakest hive. I didn't pay much attention and just assumed they were bunched up on a piece of burr comb I must have dropped last time I inspected(June 10). I just went back over there and noticed that there was still a small clump of bees on the ground so I went over to see what they were doing.....they are gathered around the DEAD QUEEN!

So now what? Order a new one ASAP or let them try to make their own? This hive was started a week or so later than my other two(around the first of May) and has been slow to expand. There was also some issue in the first few weeks where there were hundreds of dead and dieing bees in front of the hive. Many were unable to fly and just spinning around. But that seemed to clear up and everything was going much better. The queen alive on Sunday June 10Th, plenty of fresh eggs. Maybe the whole hive is ailing. I have one hive that is kicking butt and was actually thinking of making a NYC from. Should I order a new queen and put a few frames from my strong hive in this weak hive?

Thanks,
scott

JP · June 14, 2012, 07:30:59 PM

First thing you need to do is a complete inventory check of this hive. If numbers are sufficient you may want to order a new queen. If not do a combine or you could give them a frame with eggs and place them into a nuc and wait to see how their requeening attempt goes.

...JP

Kathyp · June 14, 2012, 08:01:59 PM

additionally, check for a queen. some hives will run with two for a time and then boot one. you may also have queen cells if they decided to replace her. in that case, you may wish to let them finish the job and make their own.

funbee1 · June 14, 2012, 08:21:13 PM

well I just did a through search of my hive for the queen, no luck. There are a few Queen cups and one that looks like a full on queen cell. It is long and shaped like a peanut, the end is still open. I can't tell if there is an egg/larvae at the bottom of it or maybe it was closed and now it's chewed open. Would a young queen be hard to spot, small body? I didn't see it on the 10Th, but I stopped looking after I saw the queen. There are currently no eggs, some larvae and a few frames of capped brood.

funbee1 · June 14, 2012, 08:26:34 PM

right now there are 10 frames FULL of bees in the bottom box and about two frames of stored honey in the second box with bees on it.

Right now I'm leaning toward letting them fix it. How long before I go back in? Seems like a bad time to be messing with them too much.

What do all the experienced keepers think......order a queen or let them do it????

Joe D · June 14, 2012, 08:56:24 PM

I would replace the queen, but I can get a queen in a couple of hours. Good luck with your bees, funbee1.

Joe

JP · June 15, 2012, 01:28:51 AM

A virgin queen can be particularly hard to spot. Once mated she will swell quite impressively. If you have a frame of brood with eggs and give it to them they will likely build queen cells if queenless. If you have a mated queen she will begin to lay in any available cells. Either way, after a few days or so you just might have the answer you are looking for.

...JP