I dont know if queen made it.

rookie2531 · May 03, 2014, 07:32:22 PM

I
I installed a package 4/19 and checked 5 days later and queen was not in cage. I just looked today and saw three frames completely drawer with a little capped on top white and the rest half filled with clear and brownish color. Some of the darker cells looked dirty inside and I didn't know if it was shadow from bees on other side. I also saw a couple of big cells, roundish and much bigger, one was open and empty and the other had so many bees on it I could barely see it. I did not see any worm like creatures that I was hoping to find. Your thoughts?

Vance G · May 03, 2014, 07:58:51 PM

Relax, it is not uncommon for a queen to take several days to two weeks to start laying after she gets out of the cage, You are probably at day two. Stay away for a week as too much human presence can cause them to kill the new queen. Let us know in a week what you see. Best of luck.

rookie2531 · May 03, 2014, 09:02:35 PM

I don't want to interfere with them too much either but today was ten days since I removed the cage, and I wanted to find her today. I did notice a lot of bigger ones, thinking they are drones, I only looked in on top of inner cover once (to see if they still had patty left)when I went to close the bottom board and have been changing the syrup when it gets low, Boardman feeder so no taking telescoping cover off for that. I will not look in on them for another week though as if they are queenless I can't do anything for them anyway.

iddee · May 03, 2014, 09:08:31 PM

Vance, it has been 2 weeks since install, and there were some eggs laid.

Rookie, would you describe the couple of cells as like the rounded lead end of a bullet, or more like a peanut in the shell? Is there any chance of getting a pic of the cells and sending it to one of the moderators here and ask them to post it for you?

buzzbee · May 04, 2014, 08:59:43 AM

If you do get a picture send it to
[email protected] and we will attach it to the post. Be sure to include a username and the post you would like it attached to.

You mentioned closing the bottom board? Are the bees able to enter and exit the hive?

rookie2531 · May 04, 2014, 11:09:44 AM

I don't know if I should mess with them two days in a row, just for pictures, if they don't make it the comb will be there in a week for pictures. And the bottom board I closed was just the screened part, they have an entrance set on 3/4" next to the feeder. The bees are still working though and if there was no queen laying wouldn't they abscond?

buzzbee · May 04, 2014, 11:13:23 AM

Okay,
Yeah I agree,if shes there letting them alone for a week won't hurt.

rookie2531 · May 11, 2014, 04:44:09 PM

OK it has been a week.,I emailed 3 photos for posting and after doing so I came to reply and seen add image to post link and tried to add one image. Anyway if any photos are viewable, the oversized cell is on one side and the same frame has identical one on other side, Still didn't see any larvae but looked like some capped cells near the oversized one but not very organized as they are all over the place. The frames also seemed a bit heavier though. One co-worker said if they are still bringing in pollen that the queen was in there, but I still don't know.

buzzbee · May 12, 2014, 07:15:26 AM

Where did you send the photos?
You should send them to
[email protected]
and note the thread you want them attached to and your username.

rookie2531 · May 12, 2014, 04:55:41 PM

sorry buzzbee, my email didn't send it out just kept it in the outgoing, I sent it today though. I also posted these pics on the facebook page and many people have said that there are two queens in the pics and the two queen cells. I have a few questions about this dilemma. One, will my brand new hive swarm? If so can I stop it and split it before it does? Should I be concerned about the fact that I have very little capped brood and it is spread out weird like? Maybe this is a laying worker that I have read about? Seems like she was laying and quit because I see zero larvae and little capped brood, unless this is pollen?

GSF · May 12, 2014, 10:12:40 PM

Hopefully some more experienced eyes will look and comment. Here's what I (think) I see.

#1 Definitely a queen just to the left of the middle of the frame.

#2 Maybe an emergency cup? don't I see eggs around the left side of it?

#3 Is this a different frame? To the right of center looks like a queen, except her abdomen doesn't look long enough. The spot behind her head looks like a queen. Maybe a virgin or newly hatched?

Once again, maybe someone with more experience will chime in.

rookie2531 · May 13, 2014, 05:40:19 PM

Thank you for the details GFS, #2 and #3 pics ar
e the same frame, just opposite sides.

sc-bee · May 13, 2014, 06:30:52 PM

I drug the pictures to the desktop and magnified. I see one queen. I see no larvae and perhaps 1 egg. The dark colored center capping looks like honey but looks a little odd. If the hive is new seems it would look more pristine. Of course a lot of the dark is pollen. But I have never seen pollen capped like the center dark.

Waiting to see what others think of the dark capped center area. I will admit I am not sure?

Kathyp · May 13, 2014, 06:44:52 PM

these are the pics you had on FB? i believe the general consensus was that you had a virgin or newly mated queen and you should give her some time. how much time has gone by between when you took those pictures and today?

rookie2531 · May 13, 2014, 07:06:42 PM

Yes Kathy, these are those pics I took this past mother's day and have not messed with them since. Some were saying leave alone while others said get rid of the queen cells? I am new and confused to say the least. I will most likely leave them be since I can't even pick either queen out. But I am conserned with something else I noticed. About 50-75 females are on the bottom board looks like they are wrestling. The look like they are biting at there faces and there back sides and shaking, even dragging themselves off the board to the ground. I hope in the midst of hive troubles they aren't being robbed.

sc-bee · May 13, 2014, 09:59:20 PM

Quote from: sc-bee on May 13, 2014, 06:30:52 PM
I drug the pictures to the desktop and magnified. I see one queen. I see no larvae and perhaps 1 egg. The dark colored center capping looks like honey but looks a little odd. If the hive is new seems it would look more pristine. Of course a lot of the dark is pollen. But I have never seen pollen capped like the center dark.

Waiting to see what others think of the dark capped center area. I will admit I am not sure?

Open pics again I guess that is a queen cell. Didn't make it as that first time :?

GSF · May 13, 2014, 10:20:27 PM

Hey rook, play it safe and reduce the entrance to give the guard bees less space to defend. Some say close it up at night and see if there's a lot of bees at the entrance the next morning. If so, that would suggest robbing. Definitely reduce the entrance and monitor for traffic jams and/or fighting.

GSF · May 13, 2014, 10:22:17 PM

sc/Kathy What's your take on picture #3? that girl's a little puzzling to me. (see comments above)

sc-bee · May 13, 2014, 10:47:48 PM

Quote from: GSF on May 13, 2014, 10:22:17 PM
sc/Kathy What's your take on picture #3? that girl's a little puzzling to me. (see comments above)

I think just a worker....... but heck I didn't make the above out as a queen cell????

chux · May 14, 2014, 01:18:22 AM

Pic 3 is a queen. Note the small line dividing the patch on her back. To her left is a supercecure cell. The coloring and shape appear different from the other pic and queen. Could be a different angle and lighting for one new queen, or could be sisters. I think you have/had a couple of virgin queens.