What Am I Looking At On This Frame?

shutterbee · June 09, 2015, 10:21:21 PM

Hello Everyone.

I am brand new to beekeeping and have been having a hard time getting things started. Can you please tell me what kinds of brood you see in these photos? There has been concern over whether or not the hive has a queen and I am worried that my hive has gone to laying workers.

I have uploaded a whole bunch of photos here: http://s1341.photobucket.com/user/mrsbphoto/library/Bees-6-9-2015

I really appreciate your help.

GSF · June 09, 2015, 10:29:39 PM

First off, welcome. A few questions, how long has the queen been released? sometimes they spit and sputter before they take off. It seems I did see some worker brood capped, but it was difficult to tell. Were are you located? Sometimes it's tough getting started and it seems luck is against you. Was this a package or did you buy from someone local?

shutterbee · June 09, 2015, 10:39:21 PM

I'm located in New Jersey. The hive was started around May 10th from a package of bees. The marked queen was released a week later. The hive was checked the following week and another queen (not marked) was discovered roaming the hive. I believe she hitched a ride in the package and killed the marked queen. No brood, eggs or larva were noticed over the next few weeks so a new queen was ordered and added to the hive (in her cage) last Friday. I went to see how she was doing today and noticed her cage slipped down the frame. I pulled the frame out to move her cage and that is when I noticed the brood, eggs and larva all over the place. My first reaction was that the worker's are laying since the capped brood I saw was very tall and dome shaped.

GSF · June 09, 2015, 11:00:54 PM

If another queen hitched a ride (which isn't uncommon) they she may have killed the other queen, went on mating flights, and is just now getting things going. Look real careful to see #1) if any of the capped brood tops looks flat instead of the other one. 2) look for multiple eggs in a cell. I have to use a jeweler's visor. A queen will hit almost dead center most of the time. Laying workers are close to the bottom to half way up and usually not dead center.

KeyLargoBees · June 09, 2015, 11:12:20 PM

Image 518 appears to have multiple eggs in several cells...but the angle isn't the best and I am new to this as well...someone with more experience can comment maybe.

GSF · June 09, 2015, 11:15:45 PM

Down at the bottom? I believe you're right. I see two eggs and most of the eggs are on the side of the bottom. Good catch.

flyboy · June 09, 2015, 11:30:10 PM

A suggestion Shutterbee,

Might want to put your location in your profile. It helps us help you.

BeeMaster2 · June 09, 2015, 11:50:26 PM

First of all, do not release that new queen until you have removed the old queen.
I looked at the pictures. Hard to see what is going on because I could not see down into most of the comb. I do see some drone brood in worker cells normally a problem indicator. I also see in the one picture that I can see the bottom of the cells that there are 2 and 3 eggs in the very bottom of the cells. If these cells are proper depth worker cells, this as well as a few drone brood in worker cells, would indicate a new queen. I do see worker brood in a few cells.
When you are looking at the cells, look for multiple eggs on the sides of the cells. If the comb is about 1/2" deep look for eggs in the bottom of the cells. Laying workers abdomen is too short to place an egg in the bottom of a standard depth cells.
Jim

shutterbee · June 10, 2015, 12:02:14 AM

I realize the photos are not that great. It was the first time taking photos of them and it was hard to know what I was shooting.

I just went back and took at look at the photo of the whole frame. I was able to crop the photo and I circled some frames that appear to have multiple eggs in them.

BeeMaster2 · June 10, 2015, 12:25:01 AM

How deep is that comb. It looks very short but pictures can bee misleading.
If they are normal depth, that would indicate a new queen. If they are shallow it could be a new queen or a laying worker.
What happened with your new queen?
Jim

shutterbee · June 10, 2015, 12:48:38 AM

Quote from: sawdstmakr on June 10, 2015, 12:25:01 AM
How deep is that comb. It looks very short but pictures can bee misleading.
If they are normal depth, that would indicate a new queen. If they are shallow it could be a new queen or a laying worker.
What happened with your new queen?
Jim

The comb is around 1/4" or less in that area.

The marked queen was killed by the queen that hitched a ride along in the package. I saw that queen one time and have not seen her since. The new queen is still in her cage. I have not pulled the cork yet as I wanted to see how the bees were treating her.

I took this video after letting her sit on the top of the frames for about five minutes. http://s1341.photobucket.com/user/mrsbphoto/media/queen_zpsmk6auuua.mp4.html

I can't tell if they are biting and trying to get at her or if they are trying to feed her.

BeeMaster2 · June 10, 2015, 12:59:00 PM

They like her. If you had a queen in that hive you would have a hard time seeing the caged queen and have trouble pushing them out of the way. Time to let her out.
Jim

flyboy · June 10, 2015, 05:09:07 PM

Nice photo shutterbee. How did you draw the circles?

Candiebears · June 10, 2015, 05:47:36 PM

I'm a New-bee too!!! And not far from you! (Gloucester County!) I don't know the answer to your question, just got super excited when I saw you were in Salem!!

Kathyp · June 10, 2015, 06:09:14 PM

If the comb pictures you posted are recent, you are good. The multiple eggs in the cells seem to be in the bottom for the most part. New queens do that and she'll improve in short order.

The pattern in the other pics is not laying worker. laying workers will give you scattered drone cells all over the place, not cells filled close to each other. you would find very few eggs even close to the bottom of the cells.

RC · June 10, 2015, 09:57:22 PM

I think you're probably ok. That's a mighty good pattern for a laying worker. Give it a little time, she'll sort it out.

shutterbee · June 10, 2015, 09:58:37 PM

Quote from: sawdstmakr on June 10, 2015, 12:59:00 PM
They like her. If you had a queen in that hive you would have a hard time seeing the caged queen and have trouble pushing them out of the way. Time to let her out.
Jim

I went back into the hive today and pulled the cork on the candy end.

Quote from: flyboy on June 10, 2015, 05:09:07 PM
Nice photo shutterbee. How did you draw the circles?

I used photoshop to draw the circles.

Quote from: Candiebears on June 10, 2015, 05:47:36 PM
I'm a New-bee too!!! And not far from you! (Gloucester County!) I don't know the answer to your question, just got super excited when I saw you were in Salem!!

Very cool. Are you a member of SJBA?

shutterbee · June 10, 2015, 10:02:05 PM

Thank you all.

I know my photos are not the greatest. It is hard to tell from the photos but all of the capped brood that I have is tall and bullet shaped.

Kathyp · June 11, 2015, 01:05:18 AM

wow. all of that brood is drone brood?

maybe that young queen you saw was poorly mated. I have never seen a tight laying worker pattern...but hey...

keep us posted on how this goes.

Candiebears · June 11, 2015, 10:01:30 AM

[/quote]

Very cool. Are you a member of SJBA?
[/quote]

Nope :(