Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: newguy on July 23, 2005, 04:52:33 pm

Title: my first happy ending
Post by: newguy on July 23, 2005, 04:52:33 pm
last week i checked my bees and became very discouraged.
    it was the last week in april when i got my first and only bee hive started, since then i have felt like there has been a problem with them but it wasnt something i could fix dispite my posts to this site seeking advise.
   i had two deeps, one drawn and active and one absolutly ignored(for like 6 or 7 weeks) it was very frustrating.  so last week i mixed up the frames in the two deeps sort of randomly without following any particular order or recommended procedure, purely out of defeat and utter confusion.  the next day i found a dead queen on the ground in front of the hive. :shock:  :evil:  :shock: i figured i rolled her the previous day and felt like i had been delt yet another blow to the groin.
   today i checked them and fully expected to see the worst,instead i found that most of the frames are fully drawn and contain good stuff of all types :)  i also found a live queen, this time i will mark her because im not sure if its the old queen or not.  the only down side was, i found three or four queen cells in various stages all on the bottom of the frames. should i do anything about these or just leave them alone? i think ill just let them be since none of my management techniques have done any good so far. if it all goes to hell next week, a least i had one good day of beekeeping! :D
Title: my first happy ending
Post by: manowar422 on July 23, 2005, 05:04:35 pm
Take a look at the pattern of eggs the new queen is laying,
if it's tight & they're numerous, I'd squish the other queen cells.

There's no sense in interrupting the new queen's duties with a
possible battle with one or more emerging queens.

Not to mention that if the emerging rival kills her, the newest one will
be a virgin and will have to leave the hive on her mating flight.