It's almost been a week and I still CANNOT find my queen.

don2 · April 19, 2015, 05:10:19 PM

Kathyp, the middle row, second pic from the bottom. right top of the frame. looks like a young queen that hasn't developed a large abdomen. I am judging this bee by her slim tapered abdomen. d2

Kathyp · April 19, 2015, 05:18:02 PM

could be, but I also enlarged that pic, and in the empty black cells are eggs. try right click and open in a new tab. tell me if you see them :-D

don2 · April 19, 2015, 05:22:35 PM

I did see what looked like some eggs in more than one frame, if it was not a light reflection.d2

Kathyp · April 19, 2015, 05:24:02 PM

since you spot the queen and I spot the eggs on the same frame.....

don2 · April 19, 2015, 05:32:18 PM

Candiebears, be patient. give them a few days before you go in the hive again. By then if these are eggs Kathyp and I saw then you should be able to see the larvae. They grow fast once hatched. I would wager when you do see the queen you probably will
not be looking for her. d2

Those young queens are also good about running and hiding.

buzzbee · April 19, 2015, 10:06:38 PM

You definitely have single eggs at the bottom of the cells in a couple of the photos. Close them up for a while and relax! :)

Candiebears · April 20, 2015, 11:34:50 AM

Quote from: kathyp on April 19, 2015, 10:55:01 AM
which picture? it's always good for us to brush up on "spot the queen" :-D

In the list of pictures it's in the middle column, second to the bottom. It's the bee in the top right of the photo on the frame. :)

Candiebears · April 20, 2015, 11:49:23 AM

Quote from: L Daxon on April 18, 2015, 11:28:39 PM
Candi,

Remember you probably got 10,000+ bees in your package. You have a one in 10,000 chance of mashing the queen, so don't worry about it. And the odds only get greater as the population in the hive increases. Yes, you might crush her, but if she has already laid eggs the girls will just make a new queen from the eggs she left behind. So don't sweat it.

Leave them alone for a while and let the bees be bees. They know how to take care of themselves. Open them back up in a couple of weeks and you most likely will see capped brood, larva, eggs....and maybe even a queen.

A TIP: I always carry a queen clip and a marking pen in my bee jacket so if I do spot a queen, I can mark her right then and make her easier to spot in the future.

How does a queen clip not hurt her?

sc-bee · April 20, 2015, 11:58:50 AM

Candie, I think you have clipping the queen confused with a queen clip. Clipping the queen is sniping her wings. A queen clip is similar to a hair clip made to catch and confine the queen.

Candiebears · April 20, 2015, 01:05:46 PM

Quote from: sc-bee on April 20, 2015, 11:58:50 AM
Candie, I think you have clipping the queen confused with a queen clip. Clipping the queen is sniping her wings. A queen clip is similar to a hair clip made to catch and confine the queen.

lol... no I meant the actual clip. I was just wondering, because they look like the hair clips (which I speak from experience are vicious...lol) I was just wondering how it doesn't hurt her.

Kathyp · April 20, 2015, 01:10:21 PM

it's like a little cage. she goes in it. it does not go on her.

rdy-b · April 21, 2015, 04:14:18 AM

lot of good advice here --also i find it best to listen to the sound of the hive
there are diferant sounds a queenlees hive makes (its a low soft mourning sound-the best discrption i have
is that it is a sond of sorou )so when you learn to identify what the hive is saying-then it is your chance as
a keeper of the hive to find the opition -or no option -of intervention--RDY-B

sc-bee · April 21, 2015, 07:37:58 AM

Quote from: Candiebears on April 20, 2015, 01:05:46 PM
Quote from: sc-bee on April 20, 2015, 11:58:50 AM
Candie, I think you have clipping the queen confused with a queen clip. Clipping the queen is sniping her wings. A queen clip is similar to a hair clip made to catch and confine the queen.

lol... no I meant the actual clip. I was just wondering, because they look like the hair clips (which I speak from experience are vicious...lol) I was just wondering how it doesn't hurt her.

Yea those real metal hair clips were vicious. Look at the picture of the queen clip, you can see the jaws rest on a flange area. Like Kathy said it just creates a compartment.

Candiebears · April 21, 2015, 09:51:37 AM

Quote from: rdy-b on April 21, 2015, 04:14:18 AM
lot of good advice here --also i find it best to listen to the sound of the hive
there are diferant sounds a queenlees hive makes (its a low soft mourning sound-the best discrption i have
is that it is a sond of sorou )so when you learn to identify what the hive is saying-then it is your chance as
a keeper of the hive to find the opition -or no option -of intervention--RDY-B

Thank you!

Candiebears · April 26, 2015, 04:04:09 PM

I checked today... And my queen is laying. There are also some yellowish capped cells. Not sure what those are! But just happy to know my queen is there and doing her job!

Candiebears · April 26, 2015, 04:04:40 PM

Also I only went in the hive to see if she was laying. Checked one frame then closed them back up!

don2 · April 26, 2015, 04:37:50 PM

That is how you should do it. Have a purpose for going into the hive. Once that purpose is met, close up. During the first year is the time to learn all the do's and don'ts. You will get to the point you can tell what is going on just by listening and watching the entrance. This last part is best diagnosed when you have more than one colony. Give's you something to compare with. d2

An example of how you can tell something is going on inside is seeing undeveloped larvae on the landing or bottom board if there is no landing. #1 Brood got chilled to the point that they died. #2 The colony is almost out of stores. #3 There are some sick or deformed brood. The workers can detect when brood is sick or deformed. I don't think I have to say where the chilled brood comes from, but I will. If you open the hive when it is cool and keep it open too long or take a frame of brood out to inspect it and keep it out too long, specially if you have a breeze and the temp is anywhere below 70/75 degrees. Happy bee keeping. d2

iddee · April 26, 2015, 06:22:53 PM

""Have a purpose for going into the hive.

That line should be in capital letters and bold print. It is as important as about anything you can say about beekeeping to a newbee.
Thank You, Don.

biggraham610 · April 28, 2015, 02:09:58 AM

Quote from: Candiebears on April 26, 2015, 04:04:40 PM
Also I only went in the hive to see if she was laying. Checked one frame then closed them back up!

Atta Girl. G