Brushy Mountain packages

[randydrivesabus]

On 4/26 I picked up 5 packages at Brushy Mountain and hived them that same day. Last Thursday I checked to be sure the queens were released and they were. I did not look for the queens but just made sure the cage was vacated. Today I inspected the hives to be sure the queen was laying and 2 out of the 5 had no sign of any queen....no brood and no marked queen found. I thoroughly inspected the 2 hives and I'm pretty sure I would have found a red marked queen if she was there.
Do you think Brushy Mountain should either replace the queens or refund some of my money?
The other 3 hives have brood in various stages. All packages were hived the same way.

[dlmarti]

I would contact Brushy, they are a pretty stand up company (not that I haven't had problems from them, just that they have tried to make it right).

Also not all is lost, you may still have a queen and she is just taking her time, or maybe comb is not drawn out yet, or your not feeding, etc.

[randydrivesabus]

Brushy Mountain says that they have no responsibility beyond supplying a live queen with the package. So it looks like I will have to replace the queens at my own expense. The queens were alive when I installed the package. Were they mated queens? No way to know at this point.
I think I'm more PO'd about losing 2 weeks of hive growth than the $15 a piece it will cost me to replace them.

[lovelyembalmer]

Did you get the bees through Brushy Mountain from another supplier?  The other one may get you what you need especially since you paid for Bees and Queen.

[pdmattox]

Sorry to hear about your situation Randy. Good luck on the next go round.

[Cindi]

Randy, bummer!!!!  Have you checked outside the colonies on the ground for the queens?  Maybe they are just taking their time laying?  Check the hives again, a red marked queen would surely show up, I am curious.  That situation is a bummer, cause like you said, you have lost a couple of weeks of building up, eeks!!!  Check again.....have a most wonderful, great day, Cindi

[Michael Bush]

>4/26

I'd give them to the 14th to start laying.  A banked queen often takes that long to start.  Two weeks is not at all uncommon and that would be today.  If she starts laying today it could take another four days before there are enough eggs and larvae that you can see them.