Bee reaction to new queen

Sunnyboy2 · May 04, 2013, 10:03:10 AM

I have never been able to find a queen in one of my hives with new package. Has been three weeks. Comb is being pulled. Noticed 3 emergency queen cells being pulled from center of frame yesterday. Seems to be good time to introduce new queen.
What reaction(s) should I be looking for when I put a new queen into the hive? The good, the bad and the ugly?

Michael Bush · May 06, 2013, 08:59:55 AM

They may be supersedure cells and there may still be a queen in the hive. Why not let them sort it out? That way you don't condemn a queen to death if they do still have a queen, and they will simply follow their instinct to their natural conclusion while you don't have to spend money on a queen who probably isn't adapted to your climate anyway.

Steel Tiger · May 06, 2013, 10:02:59 AM

Couldn't you take a frame with eggs from one of your other hives to put in? That way if they are queenless, they can make their own queen. But if there is a queen, no harm done.

Sunnyboy2 · May 08, 2013, 11:50:39 PM

Both great suggestions thank you. One of the things that has confused me is having cells pulled from middle of the frame rather than built on bottom or side. I have two new hives and one struggling top bar. So adding frame did not cdosss my mind.

Kathyp · May 09, 2013, 12:18:44 AM

and the other thing is, what else did you see? eggs, larvae, anything? you buy a queen and put her in with the old one and you have probably just wasted your money.

Sunnyboy2 · May 09, 2013, 12:59:43 AM

I did not see eggs, or capped brood. There must have been some there, they were pulling queen cells from somewhere, right. . . But?
The concerns I had were/are fueled by my inexperience and impatience. I had been reading posts about laying workers/lost hives. Our spring has been cold. And I have a streak of control freak in me which does not mesh well with "natural" bee keeping, which is my goal.
I did buy a queen from a man hauling packages to Denver. A chance meeting. (He was from Apisis Hive, a well respected company in the region).
Anyway, I put the queen in (before I got the comments I might add). She seems to be doing well. I took queen cells off. She seems to but doing well.
I hope I gain more trust in the bees as this adventure moves forward. Do less, learn more.
The more I learn, the more I realize how little I know.

Sunnyboy2 · May 09, 2013, 01:00:57 AM

Sorry for rambling.

Kathyp · May 09, 2013, 01:25:15 AM

it's all good if it works!

don2 · May 10, 2013, 12:18:49 AM

The ones in the middle of the frame are supersede cells. Bottom of the frame, swarm cells. :) d2

Michael Bush · May 10, 2013, 03:21:18 PM

> One of the things that has confused me is having cells pulled from middle of the frame rather than built on bottom or side.

Location is irrelevant. A lot of cells in a crowded hive are swarm cells. A few cells in a sparsely populated hive are supersedure or emergency cells. If there is a queen in the hive, they are supersedure cells. If there is not, they are emergency cells.