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Author Topic: no queens  (Read 4132 times)

Offline TNTBEES

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no queens
« on: April 22, 2012, 05:34:43 pm »
I'm a newbee and installed two packages of carniolans into two top bar hives on 4/13. The queens came in Calif. cages and did not have candy plugs, to my surprise, so i direct released them. I don't see any sign of the queens. The girls are building comb to store pollen and nectar. Two of the bars in each hive have about 1/3 to 1/2 comb and a couple have a little less and then down to none. There are 10 bars between the followers. There isn't any sign of anything other than pollen and nectar storage. The last 4 days have been picture perfect weather wise, the first several days were pretty rainy. I finally found somewhere to get two new queens and they arrive next week. Anything special I should do, like install some new bars, and if so where should I put the new queens in relation to the already drawn combs?

Offline Kathyp

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Re: no queens
« Reply #1 on: April 22, 2012, 06:06:11 pm »
i'll let someone else answer the top bar part.

you didn't need to release the queens.  you could have left them in the cages.  if the next cages come without candy, plug one end with a marshmallow and put the cage in.  just pull the cork slowly and slide your finger over the hole until you have the marshmallow ready to insert.

your queens may be in your hives and you'll know that if the hives don't accept your new queens.  i think you could have waited a few more days to order as new queens will sometimes take a couple of weeks to get going ....and eggs are very hard for a new beekeeper to spot....or for an old beekeeper with bad eyes  :-D
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Offline Michael Bush

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Re: no queens
« Reply #2 on: April 22, 2012, 10:25:23 pm »
I have had package queens take two weeks to start laying.  I would not make assumptions at this point.  You should see eggs by the 27th.  If not, I would assume your queens are not going to lay or they are missing.
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Offline TNTBEES

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Re: no queens
« Reply #3 on: April 23, 2012, 09:54:14 am »
Are there any behaviors or absence of behaviors to look for that might give me a clue as to if the queens are there or not at day 11+. The new queens will be here in a few days and I don't want to slow things down again by throwing new queens into the works.

Offline Kathyp

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Re: no queens
« Reply #4 on: April 23, 2012, 12:11:34 pm »
there are, but as a new beekeeper i'm not sure how to describe them so that you could recognize it.  it's something you learn with time.

your best bet is to get in there and either ID your queens or find eggs larvae.  if you haven't been in for a couple of days, check today and every couple of days until your queens come.  take some reading glasses and a flashlight if you need to.

it's also helpful to take pictures.   you'll find that you can see things better on your computer than you did through your veil.
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline TNTBEES

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Re: no queens
« Reply #5 on: April 23, 2012, 12:58:08 pm »
Thanks for the tips. I'm going to take some pictures later today after it warms up and the workers leave.

Offline Riggs

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Re: no queens
« Reply #6 on: April 23, 2012, 01:59:53 pm »
kathyp's tip on the pictures is spot on, save them on your computer where you can blow them up and really look close. That's what it took for me. Take several, you may even spot the queens you have been looking for.
Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another. ~
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Offline TNTBEES

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Re: no queens
« Reply #7 on: April 23, 2012, 03:55:11 pm »
Good news the queens are alive and well. Watched both of them laying. Now that there is some descent sized comb it was pretty easy to locate them. The hardest lesson to teach a newbee is patience. Lesson learned! Now I need to find a home for two queens. It took half a day on the internet to find them. I'm sure it is way to early in the game to make a small split, isn't it?

Offline Kathyp

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Re: no queens
« Reply #8 on: April 23, 2012, 04:00:54 pm »
maybe if they  have not been sent, you can cancel the order?
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline TNTBEES

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Re: no queens
« Reply #9 on: April 23, 2012, 04:37:18 pm »
They want to charge me an additional $20 to cancel at the last minute. I'll take my chances in trying to find someone local to take them.

Offline Robo

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Re: no queens
« Reply #10 on: April 23, 2012, 04:46:10 pm »
I'm sure it is way to early in the game to make a small split, isn't it?

Didn't you just say   :-P

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The hardest lesson to teach a newbee is patience. Lesson learned!

I'm sure you can find a home for the queens.   Worse case bank them for a few days if needs be.
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