Queen cells

[acidwashed]

Hey all,
Just wanted to run my current situation by the experts and see if I could gain some insight into what's happening in my new hive.

I installed the package in mid-April and I've been feeding them 1:1 since then.  JimmyO came over about a week and a half ago and marked my queen for me.  They've recently stopped taking their sugar water and pollen and nectar are flowing in well.  I checked them today for the first time in about a week due to rain and noticed capped queen cells.  What I did not notice was the original queen.  I took my time with the inspection and looked at all of the drawn frames twice and still couldn't find the queen.  There is plenty of capped brood there and eggs as well so if I'm queenless, it's only been for a short time.  I'm guessing she's in there somewhere and I probably just missed her though.

If they're making queen cells and the queen is still around, that means they're going to swarm right?  I haven't read anything about bees swarming their first season but I must have missed that too.  They still have about 4 undrawn frames in the first deep so I would guess that they aren't crowded.

Should I just set my other deep out in the yard in hopes that they swarm to that box if in fact that's what they're preparing for?  Or should I just check again next week and see if they're still building queen cells and look for my queen again?

Thanks for any help!
mike 

[Michael Bush]

> I checked them today for the first time in about a week due to rain and noticed capped queen cells.  What I did not notice was the original queen.  I took my time with the inspection and looked at all of the drawn frames twice and still couldn't find the queen.  There is plenty of capped brood there and eggs as well so if I'm queenless, it's only been for a short time.  I'm guessing she's in there somewhere and I probably just missed her though.

I would guess she is in there as well.

>If they're making queen cells and the queen is still around, that means they're going to swarm right?

No. It might mean they are superseding her.

>  I haven't read anything about bees swarming their first season but I must have missed that too.

They certainly can swarm the first season, but they have to be crowded and or fed until they backfill the brood nest with syrup.

> They still have about 4 undrawn frames in the first deep so I would guess that they aren't crowded.

I would guess they are superseding.  I would leave them to it.  Odds are they will change their mind anyway.  But if they don't, they may have a good reason.

[acidwashed]

Turns out that my inspection was with novice eyes.  I got back in them today to make sure the queen wasn't there and I did not find her yet again.  I did not in fact see any eggs and no developing larvae but still a bit of capped brood.  So, my new theory is that I may have squished her on an inspection or they swarmed without me knowing it and I'm going to sit back and wait for the new queen drama to unfold.  How long after a new queen hatches does she take her mating flight and start laying eggs? 

[Michael Bush]

>How long after a new queen hatches does she take her mating flight and start laying eggs?

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesmath.htm

[johnnybigfish]

Hey acidwashed,
I have 4 hives(5 since today) and have only seen a queen 1 time in all the times I looked in on them.
I know the queens are in there..Unless the shoe fairy comes every night and lays eggs and hatches a bunch of babys!
Some people here seem to be able to spot a queen in 5 seconds!
Then again, if you saw how I've let my bees build comb the first year, It would surprise you if I EVER found my queens! :shock:( I REALLY have to work on that comb a little harder :) )

your friend,
john