Am I my bees' worst enemy?

[Caryw]

Hello-

I started a hive from a split (2 frames of capped brood, some honey and pollen on a 3rd frame, and about 3# of bees) 8 days ago.  The split was queenless, so I also introduced a caged italian queen (suspended between 2 frames in a 10-frame deep).  All appeared to be going well, until I stepped in...

I decided to open the hive yesterday (1 week later) to check on the queen, see how things were going.  First thing I noticed was in front of the hive -- several (6-7) bees on the ground, many with deformed wings.  Some just wandering aimlessly. 

Inside it appeared as things had been going smoothly -- some comb drawn from my inner cover down to fill the space created when I removed a frame to suspend the queen (I removed this comb), lots of activity, new pollen stored (from what I remember last week).  But -- the queen was still caged (the candy plug ~1/2 chewed).  Many workers were around the cage, and they had no intent on leaving it.  In my 'moment of truth' panic, I did several things:
  1)  I released the queen.  The hive quieted almost immediately -- bees in flight went into the open hive, and a solid mass of bees formed.

  2)  I treated the hive with menthol crystals (mesh bag on the frames at the back corner of the box). 

  3)  I hung a 'check mite' strip

I finished my inspection, scraped some comb from places I did not want it, and closed things up.  The hive remained VERY quiet for the rest of the day.

As I was cleaning things up a few hours later I noted that the comb I removed contained eggs -- 1 per cell, neatly positioned in the center...

I'll end this long story with 2 questions:  (1) Am I safe to assume I re-queened a queen-right hive and the bees will sort this out (why did they not kill her already??)?  (2) Is it safe to assume I have a tracheal mite issue, and treating with the menthol should remedy?

Thanks!

[doak]

Check the hive  you made the split from. It will be queenless if they haven't started a queen cell yet. When you did the split you took the queen.
When making a split it is best to find the queen and isolate her with the frame she is on and the bees with her. Either use another nuc box, or just stand the frame on end up against the hive till your through.
Things do happen.
doak

[Brian D. Bray]

doak has good advice.  The only time it's not necessary finding the queen when doing a split is for a walk away--when you have arranged things so that the potion of the split (which ever it is) has the capacity to make a queen. 
Anyother time with splits or requeening it is a must to locate the existing queen and take appropriate action for her.

[Caryw]

Thanks for the replies -- I got the split from someone with several dozen hives -- not sure if they know which hive(s) the bees are from.  Guess it's worth a shot asking. 

Regardless, I'll assume the bees will sort things out on their own.  I'll wait about a week and check for eggs...

[Michael Bush]

>1)  I released the queen.  The hive quieted almost immediately -- bees in flight went into the open hive, and a solid mass of bees formed.

Good move.

>  2)  I treated the hive with menthol crystals (mesh bag on the frames at the back corner of the box).

I've never used menthol, but it won't help deformed wings.  It will help with "K" wings.

>  3)  I hung a 'check mite' strip

I have never, and will never, use Check Mite in a hive.  If you wish to get rid of Varroa ANYTHING is probably an improvement.  Do a search on my "dynamite" method of Varroa control.  It will do less harm.  ;)

[Scadsobees]

Ditto on doaks advice.  A solid mass of bees, was that a ball of bees around the new queen?  If so, then they probably deep-sixed her.  But your split has a queen.  Your old hive will have a laying queen in 3 weeks or so.

They will sort it all out for you like you said.

Rick

[Caryw]

Thanks to all for the advice -- I will dump the chemicals the next time I check the hive. Like I said -- it was a panic move.  Probably better off not buying that stuff.  Will try some grease patties (without oils? Hope to harvest something this year...).  Guess actually figuring out what my mite count is would be a good move too...