My MoJo MaMa Hive

Started by kingfisherfd2, June 23, 2011, 06:29:58 PM

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kingfisherfd2

My hive has continued building through the whole winter.  So I'm pretty sure the the queen is laying good still.  I saw some worker brood near some of them, but I am guessing most of the Deep is brood section.  I haven't gotten into the deep and made sure the queen was still doing well, but I think the numbers that I have right now shows a strong laying queen

kingfisherfd2

I went into the hive today.  I have two mediums over a deep.  This is what I have set up as the brood chamber.  I also added a medium super above a queen excluder about 3 weeks ago.  They haven't touched the foundation in the honey super. 
The two mediums are nearly honey bound, Some of the frames of foundation have just small amounts drawn out and capped.  I figured that my bees would have the largest part of the brood nest full of brood right now...  I think all the brood areas in the mediums are being back filled. 
Then I got into the deep and the outside frame still has not been drawn out.  The rest look good.  Again the brood nest looks like it is being filled back in with honey.  I was 6 frames in before I found the first capped brood cells, and those are few and far between.  I would guess that I'm looking at maybe a few hundred capped brood cells.  I found one open queen cell that looked like a queen hatched. 
My bee numbers are good.  The bees are still very calm.  there are quite a few drones in the colony at the moment.  I did not see a queen. 

Should I get back in the hive and search HARD to find the queen?  With the lack of brood, it that a good sign that the hive swarmed, and I didn't notice, and the new queen just isn't laying yet?  Or should I get a hold of the local bee supply company and get a mated queen and add her to the box.  If you add a queen in this manner, to you do it the same as if you have a package and let them eat the candy to release her?
If the bees have a virgin queen and you add the mated queen are you more likely to get another swarm?  Will they free the brood chamber of honey when the new queen is added?

Sorry for so many questions, but I would like to have the opportunity to harvest some honey this summer and without a queen it ain't gonna happen.