Author Topic: It's almost been a week and I still CANNOT find my queen. (Read 7583 times)

Candiebears · « **on:** April 17, 2015, 07:19:01 pm »

I just can't find my queen. I keep looking. I figured I'd take pictures... so I don't have bother the bees too much... And have still failed to identify her. I googled what they look like.. and that made identifying even harder for me :( My queen was NOT marked... and I will never ever buy bees that don't have a marked queen again.

Here's the link to my photos that I took.. If you can help me locate her.. I'd be eternally grateful. If not.. Enjoy the pictures :)

Thanks in advance for any help!

http://candiebearbees.weebly.com/blog/after-a-week-i-still-cant-locate-my-queen

capt44 · « **Reply #1 on:** April 17, 2015, 08:06:12 pm »

When I go into my hives I very seldom look for the queen.
I look at the capped brood, uncapped brood and eggs then I know she's doing her job.
But if you have a large population of bees like now then you'll drive yourself crazy trying to find her.
She'll run, hide and do about anything else to keep from being in the light.

Kathyp · « **Reply #2 on:** April 17, 2015, 08:15:05 pm »

first of all, why are you looking for her? did you see eggs and larvae? if so, she's there. what else do you need to know?

I believe I see some, although the shots are not straight into the cells. did not see her.

Candiebears · « **Reply #3 on:** April 17, 2015, 08:42:48 pm »

Quote from: kathyp on April 17, 2015, 08:15:05 pm

first of all, why are you looking for her? did you see eggs and larvae? if so, she's there. what else do you need to know?

I believe I see some, although the shots are not straight into the cells. did not see her.

Im scared of crushing her or hurting her. There's no cappings yet. tomorrow they'll have been in there for a week. I do see some cells with pollen, and some have a wet substance in them...Im happy with the progress they've made :) like I said.. just afraid of hurting the queen.

Candiebears · « **Reply #4 on:** April 17, 2015, 08:43:54 pm »

Quote from: capt44 on April 17, 2015, 08:06:12 pm

When I go into my hives I very seldom look for the queen.
I look at the capped brood, uncapped brood and eggs then I know she's doing her job.
But if you have a large population of bees like now then you'll drive yourself crazy trying to find her.
She'll run, hide and do about anything else to keep from being in the light.

there's none of that yet. I was thinking of trying again tomorrow during the day time.. when most of the drones and foragers are out...

don2 · « **Reply #5 on:** April 17, 2015, 10:00:32 pm »

You would not have capped brood in a week. Take out the second frame from one side, move the next two or three frames over into the vacant space. Take a frame out from the center that has the most bees on it. look into the cells and see if you see a little white speck in the bottom of the cell. Smaller than a small grain of rice. The eggs should be easy to see on your black foundation.
If you have a laying queen that has been laying for more than 4 days there should be little white "grubs" which would be larvae in the bottom of the cells.

Not sure but the bee on the frame in the center row, second frame from the bottom, on the top bar in the upper right hand corner looks like it could be a young queen that has not developed a large abdomen yet.

The main reason for marking is to keep up with their age. Once you get to knowing how to look for and finding her it will be different. Don't look to hard at a given spot. Use the scanning method. hope this helps d2

sc-bee · « **Reply #6 on:** April 17, 2015, 11:03:58 pm »

Come on guys and Gal, Why does she want to see the queen. I suspect a newbee here and didn't we all want to see her Majesty when we started. I imagine even you Ms. Kathy

Be patient let her lay. And even if you don't see her you will see the results

Candiebears · « **Reply #7 on:** April 17, 2015, 11:15:27 pm »

Quote from: don2 on April 17, 2015, 10:00:32 pm

You would not have capped brood in a week. Take out the second frame from one side, move the next two or three frames over into the vacant space. Take a frame out from the center that has the most bees on it. look into the cells and see if you see a little white speck in the bottom of the cell. Smaller than a small grain of rice. The eggs should be easy to see on your black foundation.
If you have a laying queen that has been laying for more than 4 days there should be little white "grubs" which would be larvae in the bottom of the cells.

Not sure but the bee on the frame in the center row, second frame from the bottom, on the top bar in the upper right hand corner looks like it could be a young queen that has not developed a large abdomen yet.

The main reason for marking is to keep up with their age. Once you get to knowing how to look for and finding her it will be different. Don't look to hard at a given spot. Use the scanning method. hope this helps d2

thank you!!!!!

Candiebears · « **Reply #8 on:** April 17, 2015, 11:16:25 pm »

Quote from: sc-bee on April 17, 2015, 11:03:58 pm

Come on guys and Gal, Why does she want to see the queen. I suspect a newbee here and didn't we all want to see her Majesty when we started. I imagine even you Ms. Kathy

yes. I'm new at this. I've been doing it for 5 days.....

don2 · « **Reply #9 on:** April 17, 2015, 11:20:39 pm »

Yes I can under stand that too. But isn't too much of a good thing sometimes bad.
I would say do not continue to open up the hive too often, when you do, don't take all the frames out at once. If there is young brood we know this is not good. It only takes a few minutes to chill brood to the critical point.I would limit my inspections to at least every 5 days. when you first hive a package, after you have checked in 2 or 3 days to make sure the queen is released I would not look in again for 10. If you start with a hive that was supposed to be established then there should have been capped brood when it was purchased. By the second year you should be able to tell a lot about a colony just by looking at the entrance. d2

Another tip, the more you go into the hive the bigger chance you have of mashing the queen, or at the least injuring her to the point that the bees would supersede her with new queen.

Kathyp · « **Reply #10 on:** April 17, 2015, 11:48:43 pm »

Quote

Another tip, the more you go into the hive the bigger chance you have of mashing the queen, or at the least injuring her to the point that the bees would supersede her with new queen.

that.

and that's why I asked.

If you are only going back and back to find the queen, you do run the risk of damaging her, or setting back the hive. sure, it's good to see her, but if your goal is to determine that you have a laying queen, you don't need to see her for that info.

Wasn't trying to put her down, just maybe slow her down..

don2 · « **Reply #11 on:** April 17, 2015, 11:52:18 pm »

Thanks Kathyp

sc-bee · « **Reply #12 on:** April 18, 2015, 01:12:24 am »

> I was thinking of trying again tomorrow during the day time.. when most of the drones and foragers are out...
This part just failed to register........

Yep too much is not a good thing..

To all,oh I understand and agree. And Ms. Kathy I know you would not put her down... And I agree once a week is enough and give them some time to get established. Just was saying we all were impatient at one time. I remember very well. And I always wanted to see that queen but if I didn't, I forced myself to wait another week!
Takes a while for a newbee to be satisfied with just seeing signs of the queen. And then all that pristine wax and the different colors of pollen are ahead toooo.... hang in there candie. It will all come in due time

GSF · « **Reply #13 on:** April 18, 2015, 08:08:52 am »

Hang in there candie! Discipline yourself "not" to go in the hives for a few days. It's tough, I know because summer before last I was in the same place you're at. I wanted to go in about every two days. My queen was marked though. I bought me some jewelers visors from ebay for around $15(I think). They really help you to find eggs. If I find eggs, I move one to the next hive. Right now since I've had so many swarms if I don't see eggs I will try to spot the queen.

Good Luck, and I know you're going to enjoy this hobby. These folks on here were such a great help to me in my first year. If there is in fact a smart mouth the moderators will know who they are and will correct or silence them. Written communications is the hardest way to communicate. Without hearing the tone of voice or seeing a smile you don't know if one is joking or bashing.

Candiebears · « **Reply #14 on:** April 18, 2015, 10:47:19 am »

Quote from: GSF on April 18, 2015, 08:08:52 am

Hang in there candie! Discipline yourself "not" to go in the hives for a few days. It's tough, I know because summer before last I was in the same place you're at. I wanted to go in about every two days. My queen was marked though. I bought me some jewelers visors from ebay for around $15(I think). They really help you to find eggs. If I find eggs, I move one to the next hive. Right now since I've had so many swarms if I don't see eggs I will try to spot the queen.

Good Luck, and I know you're going to enjoy this hobby. These folks on here were such a great help to me in my first year. If there is in fact a smart mouth the moderators will know who they are and will correct or silence them. Written communications is the hardest way to communicate. Without hearing the tone of voice or seeing a smile you don't know if one is joking or bashing.

Thank you! :)

iddee · « **Reply #15 on:** April 18, 2015, 10:28:45 pm »

DO NOT open the hive before you have had them 2 weeks. You have opened them too many times already.

Check for queen release 4 to7 days after install. Check for open brood 2 weeks after install. Check 2 to 3 times maximum permonth for the rest of the summer. Less is better.

L Daxon · « **Reply #16 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.

jalentour · « **Reply #17 on:** April 19, 2015, 12:17:08 am »

Candi,
If it makes you feel any better, we didn't see our queens our entire first year.
Some how they survived us and now we have 10 hives.
Good luck, enjoy your bees.
Let us know when you find her, but don't look too hard. It's not that important.
J

Candiebears · « **Reply #18 on:** April 19, 2015, 09:22:49 am »

On of the members on here actually looked through my pictures and suggested who they thought The queen was. After looking at the one they suggested .. I'm pretty sure that's my queen :) and that made me happy! Thanks Saxton & jvalentour

Kathyp · « **Reply #19 on:** April 19, 2015, 10:55:01 am »

which picture? it's always good for us to brush up on "spot the queen" :-D