im lost in the woods

[newguy]

here's the quick version of my buffoonery.
i got two 3lb packages in good shape about 3 weeks ago. on day three after intro. i checked on queens.  hive #1, queen was still in cage.  i had poked a hole in both candy plugs on intro, maybe not enough? i, in my haste, decided to pull the screen open on the queen cage, bees were flying everywhere, after i fumbled with around with the cage(like jerry lewis trying to open a plastic bag of cereal) i noticed the queen was out (i feel like dumbo the jackass clown, i swear, there should be circus music playing when i do my hive inspections) , i dont know if she fell into the hive or flew away i was hoping she went in, at any rate i had to close up the hive.
hive #2, queen and all attendants dead in the cage. i think they died because i put the cage between two frames of drawn comb, i later read that i should have scraped off comb where the cage would go so that they didnt suffocate(sp?) i requeened hive #2 a week ago, they seemed to be accepting her (feeding her through the queen cage screen)she was released at some point.
today i checked both hives
disaster #1    1 to 5 eggs in all cells, brood of various age, some had two maggots in one cell, some had three eggs with four or five dried up eggs, and all combinations of crap like this. could not find the marked queen.
disaster #2    much of the same, however in this one, the one i just requeened a week ago, along with the multiple eggs per cell, has some capped brood???  now im really confused. did queen from hive#1 fly over during my original gaff? i dont know, but i do know they wouldnt have capped brood in six days.
obviosly (i think) i have laying workers but wouldn't the capped cells look like drones not workers??
please, experienced beekeepers, give me some detailed guidance, help me remove this clown make-up. i just want a normal hive. should i have an experienced beekeeper over to have a look?

[Scott Derrick]

Hi Newguy,

Definately sounds like a laying worker. I definately would have an experienced beekeeper over to take a look for you. I would also look or ask for someone to mentor me. I have done this and it really has worked well for me. I also have joined my local beekeeper association. It has made a world of difference.

BTW...I have heard that if you have a laying worker that the hive is almost useless. I have been told to take the have to a place away from the rest of your bees and empty the entire contents of the hive and start over again.

One other thing about putting a queen in the hive. I have used what is known as an Imirie Shim on the top of my hive between the top of the hive and the cover. It gives you room to place the queen box on top of the frames without having to worry about smothering the queen or any other issues.

Best of luck with the clown makeup...I still have some smeared on my face  i've been trying to get off for some time now.

Scott

[Michael Bush]

>i dont know if she fell into the hive or flew away i was hoping she went in, at any rate i had to close up the hive.

If you are unsure if the queen got back in, leave the lid open and stand there for ten minutes.  She will usually orient on you.  I've often had her land on my arm, my veil or back in the hive.  After ten minutes, she's probably made it back and smelled the nasonov, which, you will notice, they are fanning like crazy trying to get her back.

>hive #2, queen and all attendants dead in the cage. i think they died because i put the cage between two frames of drawn comb, i later read that i should have scraped off comb where the cage would go so that they didnt suffocate(sp?)

The screen need to always be exposed, not only for air, but so they will feed her. I'm really fond of a push in cage for releases.

>disaster #1 1 to 5 eggs in all cells, brood of various age, some had two maggots in one cell, some had three eggs with four or five dried up eggs, and all combinations of crap like this. could not find the marked queen.

Likely laying workers.  Are there capped drones in worker cells?

>disaster #2 much of the same, however in this one, the one i just requeened a week ago, along with the multiple eggs per cell, has some capped brood???

Flat capped brood?  Dome capped brood?  Flat would be workers and that's a good sign.  Some queens will lay a few doubles at first.  But you need to know if it's worker brood or not.  Laying workers will not lay worker brood.

> now im really confused. did queen from hive#1 fly over during my original gaff? i dont know, but i do know they wouldnt have capped brood in six days.

Is it possible the queen flew back to the wrong hive and they accepted her and rejected the queen in the cage?

>obviosly (i think) i have laying workers but wouldn't the capped cells look like drones not workers??

The cappings would be drones cappings if it's a laying worker.  If you have some that is flat worker brood cappings, you have a laying queen.

>should i have an experienced beekeeper over to have a look?

That's always helpful.

[newguy]

the capped brood were flat like worker cells not drones. that was what got me. i know that the original queen was dead from that hive, so i was surprised to see capped brood cells

[Brian D. Bray]

So what's the story with the hive where you let the queen out of the cage (calliope music) a la Jerry Lewis?
If you do encounter a laying worker(s) the only sure way (sure=50%+) of replacing a laying worker is to introduce a brood frame from another hive that has freshly laid eggs--the more the better--and let the bees supercede the laying worker(s).  
I use the plural on pupose--my theory is that more than one worker becomes takes on the roll of queen, which is why there is the indictitive multiple eggs in each cell.
Some day, I swear, I'll build me a observation hive and force a laying worker to prove my theory.

[Michael Bush]

I've had laying workers in an observation hive.  Not on purpose.

Adding brood to a laying worker hive does not work, the first time.  You almost always have to do it two or three times over a space of two or three weeks before they will make a queen.