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Author Topic: No Queen?  (Read 3400 times)

Offline Shizzell

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No Queen?
« on: May 07, 2006, 05:14:19 pm »
http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/8918/10008895ci.jpg

http://img305.imageshack.us/img305/8498/10008881gm.jpg

http://img467.imageshack.us/img467/82/10008900nb.jpg
< Is this pollen? the Yellow?

Sorry they are not very good pictures. However, they might give you an idea. I don't think I saw any eggs. however there was a lot of pollen. (I Think!) I am opening the hive for the first time this year. I just started it a week ago. And the weather has been mostly cold and wet the entire week. They did have a bunch of burr comb with no eggs in any of the burr comb.

Offline bcarpenter

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No Queen?
« Reply #1 on: May 07, 2006, 06:26:28 pm »
The third photo definitely looks like pollen.

When you examined the hive, was it a sunny day? Its easier to see eggs on a  sunny day.

I ordered/installed three 3# packages this spring. After a week, I examined the hives. Two of the hives had eggs, one did not. I closed them up and came back a week later. I found some eggs but not many in the one hive that I could not see any eggs in the first week. Once the cells were capped in this hive, I realized that I most likely had a laying worker colony because every capped brood was a drone. I ended up combining this hive with one of the other new hives that had capped brood already and now I have a hive that is off to a very good start.

I decided to order two 5# packages, one to replace the one package that turned out to be a laying worker colony.

I would definitely keep an eye on this hive.
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Offline Hi-Tech

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No Queen?
« Reply #2 on: May 07, 2006, 10:25:05 pm »
I will give you the same advice everyone gave me. Be patient and see what happens. See my post http://www.beemaster.com/beebbs/viewtopic.php?t=4964

I had a similar situation...
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Offline JP

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no queen?
« Reply #3 on: May 07, 2006, 10:35:25 pm »
Shizzell,
in the last pic, that dark yellowish brown stuff next to the uncapped sugarwater or honey, one or the other, but probably sugarwater since I would assume you are feeding them sugarwater, is pollen.
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Offline Shizzell

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No Queen?
« Reply #4 on: May 09, 2006, 09:26:44 am »
Yeah Its been about another 3 days since I last checked them. I'm hopeing to find the queen this time or atleast find some capped brood.

Question: Would you find capped brood a week after hiving? Or just eggs?

Another Question: Do queens lay eggs on burr comb? I didn't see any eggs on my burr comb...

Question 3. How long does it actually take for the queen to mate with the drone and start laying after you have hived them?

Thanks guys

Offline thomashton

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No Queen?
« Reply #5 on: May 09, 2006, 11:49:12 am »
Yeah Its been about another 3 days since I last checked them. I'm hopeing to find the queen this time or atleast find some capped brood.

Question: Would you find capped brood a week after hiving? Or just eggs?

Probably not. Worker larvae are capped/sealed on day 8. However, you are assuming that the queen was released immediately and then began laying as soon as being released. I would assume day 10 or 11 you would begin seeing a few capped brood cells.

Another Question: Do queens lay eggs on burr comb? I didn't see any eggs on my burr comb...

Comb is comb. As long as it is clean and to her liking she will lay in it. I ended up killing a few larvae yesterday in an inspection when I scraped away brace comb with brood in it.

Question 3. How long does it actually take for the queen to mate with the drone and start laying after you have hived them?

Your queen is already mated. She comes ready to go. This is only an issue if your hive superscedes her, but that is a 16 day ordeal and you'll see the superscedure cells then.

Thanks guys

No problem.
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Offline Shizzell

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No Queen?
« Reply #6 on: May 09, 2006, 06:22:53 pm »
AHA! Well, I opened the hive today (Hive top feeder was empty since I took out a huge piece of burr comb plump full with sugar water on sunday)

Well, I saw a few patches of capped brood today! Also I saw a ton of larvae and a ton of eggs. Good news? I think so =D

Also on one of the last frames I saw the queen! Hurray!

And about 5 of the 10 frames are 100% full so I plan on giving them another box in a couple of weeks and changing their entrance reducer to the "Medium" setting in a week. Filled up the hive top feeder and was out - with a smile on my face.

Thanks for your help guys

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/7812/10009030pv.jpg
< Picture of Queen and some Capped Brood

Offline thomashton

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No Queen?
« Reply #7 on: May 09, 2006, 07:21:49 pm »
I missed it. I see the queen and plenty of pollen and syrup, but I don't see capped brood :(
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Offline Michael Bush

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No Queen?
« Reply #8 on: May 09, 2006, 10:38:48 pm »
I see a lot of OPEN brood, but no capped brood.
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Offline Shizzell

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No Queen?
« Reply #9 on: May 10, 2006, 11:28:01 pm »
Ugh, no I see this isn't the one that I wanted to post.
I'll post it as soon as I get my camera back =D

Offline Robo

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No Queen?
« Reply #10 on: May 11, 2006, 09:06:49 am »
I'd go a little easier on the syrup,  looks like they are filling the frames up and not leaving much room for the queen to lay.  You want to see more cells with brood than syrup on a frame.
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Offline Shizzell

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No Queen?
« Reply #11 on: May 11, 2006, 08:01:58 pm »
You think I should seriuosly stop feeding them sugar syrup?
Hmm.
I'ved heard differently from a lot of people. Maybe your right...

Offline Brian D. Bray

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No Queen?
« Reply #12 on: May 12, 2006, 07:49:49 am »
The bees are doing well and are maybe past ready for additional room. A good rule of thumb is to add space when the previous super or brood chamber is 80-90 percent full.  If you wait to long they may go into a swarm mind set--yes even new hives will do it if they feel cramped.  
Once the new super is on some of the honey stores will be used to draw comb and should get you back into a proper honey to brood ratio.  You shouldn't have more than a two inch wide band of honey above the brood comb.  From the bottom of the frame the brood should rise in a half-moon shape and cover about 3/4 of the frame.  
If you haven't already, I'd stop feeding as they have the rest of the spring and summer to draw and fill the second super.  If any more feeding is do be done I wouldn't consider it before Labor Day.  From the look of things it shouldn't be necessary then unless something durastic happens.
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