help?

[mswartfager]

The end of May, 2008 I got a nuc + a couple additional frames completely covered with what looked like healthy bees and a healthy queen.  They were kept in one deep hive body.  There was always evidence of the queen laying and brood developing.  They began drawing out comb on the outside two frames, so I put another deep 10 frame super on top about a month ago.  They seemed to expand into the super and began drawing out comb from the middle outward, but their numbers seemed to be fewer (possibly because they were spread out more in the hive).  Up until about a week ago I saw evidence of the the queen still laying.  Today, they still have not fully drawn out the last two frames in the bottom deep hive body and they look like they are only half-hartedly working on drawing out comb in the super.  I saw no evidence of the queen.  No eggs or larva, just lots of empty comb.  Bees are still hatching from the existing brood.  I couldn't find the queen anywhere.  I saw what I think are three queen cells, but accidentally destroyed two of them.  The bees are thick on the 6-8 inner frames in the bottem deep high body.  What do I do now?

[HAB]

Sounds like you lost your Queen.
Either let the Queen/Supercedure Cell hatch or order a new Queen ASAP.

[annette]

Firstly, you need to know what queen cells look like. Do they look like peanuts capped over?

Where are the queen cells?  In the middle of the frames or at the bottom? This makes a difference as they could be supercedure cells or swarm cells.

Often the queen slows down her egg laying when the honey flow stops or slows down, but of course there is the issue with those supposed queen cells.

Let us know for sure. Can you post any photos??

Annette

[mswartfager]

I think I'd like to let them deal with this themselves and not order a queen, but I don't know.  Any idea how long to wait to see if a queen comes out?

[mswartfager]

I'm pretty certain they are queen cells based on the photos I've seen.  The two that I accdentally destroyed were on the bottom of the frame.  The other was in the middle of the frame.   The honey flow here should be picking up rapidly very soon with golden rod and field of buckwheat planted a couple hundred yards from my hive.

[DaveKow]

Whereabouts in NW PA are you?