The Queen is Dead and I'm Panicked - What should I do?

[tillie]

how do you get pictures without getting your camera all dirty??

I keep my camera on a strap around my neck (and around my zip-on veil) and then I tuck it in the top pocket of my beesuit.   It's then available any time I want to take a picture.  Sometimes I do get propolis on the camera body from my gloves, but if I wipe it off right away then it is not a problem. 

My problem with the camera was dropping it - thus the strap.  I ruined a good camera dropping it and when I bought the replacement I said, never again - and took the strap that I used to keep my quilting scissors on and attached the camera wrist strap to that.

I'm too cheap to buy one of the digital cameras that doesn't pause before the actual shot.  I stay frustrated by the time between what I want to photograph and the camera actually going off.

Chances are if I ever see Princess Honey, the new queen in this hive, I won't get her picture :-P :-P

Linda T in Atlanta, still relieved and celebrating

[annette]

Great news Linda. I am so happy and relieved for you. Enjoy the warmer weather.

I am going into the hives today to check on food. We have a warm day today.

Annette

[bassman1977]

Check out the bottom right hand corner of the bottom most picture.  I see a mite  :shock:   :'(   :(

[Jerrymac]

We know  :-D

I do see the Varroa mite on the bee in the bottom right of the last picture.  I took lots of close-ups and this is the only mite I saw, but it certainly means powdered sugar shakes as spring arrives.

[Cindi]

Linda, cool.  I haven't been able to get on the forum for a few days because of issues with my router and computer.  I did think about you a few times over the weekend and wondered if you were able to get into your colony to have a look.   Yea!!!! Beautiful eggs and larvae and capped brood.  The queen is alive and well.  I can feel your excitement.  I would be feeling the same way, so, good, off to the new season with a new queen that is just happy as can be, laying her little head right off.  Yea!!!  This was a good day for you.  Have another wonderful day, Cindi

[bassman1977]

We know

lol....I'm blind.   :roll:

[rdy-b]

Check out the bottom right hand corner of the bottom most picture.  I see a mite  :shock:   :'(   :(

look at the bee in the center (bottom picture) see its stunted abdomen and its damaged wings that is a sighn of mite damage -look at the wings of the bee in the top pic -they are damaged also -these are sighns to look for when you are inspecting your bees -now you have more mite to bee ratio because laying queens have slowed down -in the spring a good queen will out lay the mites-RDY-B

[tillie]

Thank you, rdy-b - I tell you, it's a hard battle against the mites when you don't want to use poison. 

My bees last winter almost didn't make it through because of mite issues in this same hive.  I did weekly powdered sugar shakes in October and that was the last time. 

I do appreciate looking for that kind of stuff and mostly can only see it when I get back indoors at the computer, but it's certainly an issue in my hives where I don't treat and am trying to get them down to natural cell size.....crossed fingers and hoping for the best....

Linda T hopeful in Atlanta

[rdy-b]

 ;) 8-)