comb being built under SBB - queen under there?

[tandemrx]

Was doing some quick chores around the hives.  Have most of my hives up on cinder blocks with screened bottom boards.

My wife happened to look under one of the hives (sometimes we will just check populations from looking from the bottom).

There was a small build up of comb being built under the SBB with a handful or two of bees very intensely working the comb.

it was a bit too dark for me to see well and glasses kept fogging up with the high humidity and temps these days - so I couldn't really see if there was a queen in this clod of bees under the hive.

But, just the way they were acting, I am taking bets on whether or not there is a queen under there (I am betting that there is one).

The hive swarmed about 4 weeks ago.  About 12 days ago we saw a fair number of eggs in the hive, but not a wonderful pattern - better than laying worker pattern. I was still a little worried of laying worker or just lousy queen or new queen getting going.  Plan was to check back for brood pattern a few days ago, but haven't been able to get into hive.

Any thoughts on if a new queen would set up shop under a SBB of an existing hive - or is it possible that the new virgin queen got confused on return after mating flight and ended up under the hive and just didn't move into the hive? possibly laying worker or different queen inside laying?

When I get a day off later in the week I will check what is going on under there a bit better, but interested in thoughts.

[AllenF]

If you have a queen under there you will see eggs or brood.   Easy way to check for the queen. 

[tandemrx]

they will have to build down a good bit more till I could see eggs or larvae.  Awfully dark under that hive and at a tough angle to see anything (can barely get my head under the hive and with veil on it makes it really tough to see - but I attract way too much attention laying down under the hive to go without veil).

I may try with headlamp in upcoming days to see what is going on, but still may not really be able to see.

[BeeV]

An inspection mirror and a flashlight maybe? Or just stick a camera under there and snap a pic. Focal length might be to short to focus but worth a try.

[BjornBee]

There is probably a queen. It is not uncommon for the queen to return after mating, and have her walk under the bottom board and then she gets stuck under the screen. I have it happen perhaps twice a year.

The standard bottom board has a space on both sides. This is known as a reversable bottom board. Even though most never switch them around as the original purpose was intended. This allows a space where bees cal walk under the bottom board.

Here is s video series on one such instance that a queen (perhaps in a swarm) ended up under the bottom board, even though the bottom board is a solid bottom.

http://www.pennapic.org/photosvideos.html

BTW.....The queen has moved up through the holes and is now laying brood in the bottom deep box.  :)

[D Coates]

I've had that happen one time when I shook out a drone laying hive and replaced it with a queenright hive.  Everyone moved into the hive and all was good, so I thought.  A couple weeks later I noticed a blob of comb the size of a lemon hanging from the underside of my SBB along with about 200 bees.  I cut it off and examined it.  There were eggs everywhere, some cells had 6 to 7 eggs the were even eggs on edges of bridge combs, but there were no larva, brood or capped brood.  I dropped the blob in my "bee box" for melting and searched the bees to see if I could find what a laying worker looks like.  I didn't find her but I never saw any more comb or bees clustered under there.

[Jim134]

BTW.....The queen has moved up through the holes and is now laying brood in the bottom deep box.  :)

  Cool  X:X  X:X  X:X


      BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

[tandemrx]

Just as an update: I would have lost my own bet.

No queen under the hive, but like D Coates, just laying workers with one cell of the chunk of comb I cut off having no less than 10 eggs in it and eggs all over the little blob of wax.  In fact, while I was examining them with a flashlight and looking to see if I could find a queen when still attached under the hive I saw a bee with her abdomen in a cell and sitting there for 10 seconds like a queen would while laying.  She didn't look like she had a queen's scutum/shield, and sure enough when she emerged from the cell it was just a regular ol' worker bee (well, regular ol' laying worker bee).

So, double checked the upper hive and also had a horrible laying worker scenario going on in there as I was a bit worried about a couple weeks before.  Shook them out  :'( . . . . I just hate doing that.  But they sure ruined a bunch of frames with all that drone comb as usual.

Another one bites the dust.

[Kathyp]

to bad about the hive, but i wouldn't worry about the drone comb.  had a bunch of that stuff put aside and grabbed it for a swarm.  didn't even think about it when i grabbed the box.  hive has done fine on it.  guess they fixed it the way they wanted it and carried on  :-D

[D Coates]

Sorry about the hive.  Glad to hear I wasn't the only who had a laying worker under a hive though.  Everytime I have a setback I try to look at it as a positive as long as there's something I can learn from it.  I've learned more than I care to admit and it's definitely not over.