Couple of questions about queens and the lack thereof

[fillycate]

Picked up a swarm yesterday, cut a bough out of a tree 25' up or so. They were all spread out when they fell, so I wasn't sure where the queen was. Put my box over them and they crawled in nicely, fanning, but still didn't know if that meant the queen was with them. When almost all had marched in the box, saw a small cluster of 7-10 bees around a dead, crushed bee, all of them fanning. I panicked that this was the queen dead! Looked at her, but honestly couldn't tell, so tossed the dead body into the box.

Opinions on how I can know if this was the queen? Would they cluster around a crushed worker fanning? Would they march orderly into a box without the queen being with them?

Also, opened up my first hive from the package I bought (it had been too long since I'd checked on them.) They hadn't built much more comb, and there were a lot of drone cells. There wasn't a lot of capped worker, but there was some. Does this mean I have no queen and a laying worker, or a failing queen? No queen cells. What should I do next? They are still bringing stuff in, definitely pollen. They have some honeycomb started too. Do hives with laying workers buzz loudly like I have been told queenless hives do, or do they just think it is business a usual? They seemed kinda agitated, but I don't know if that was my imagination.

[Hethen57]

Last swarm I caught was when I was 16 years old, so I can't answer that question with much authority...now I know a ton more about bees, but can't find any swarms.  Regarding your package, it you see capped worker brood then you are probably ok.  I hived two packages in April and one produced a ton of drones out of the gate, but on the second batch of brood...the frames look much better and the girls ended up tossing out most of those good for nothing drones as they were hatching..haha.  Now that hive is doing great and nearly two brood boxes full.  Good luck with your bees...I am having a blast with mine...they seem to take alot of my attention these days..feeding and watching... :roll:
-Mike

[fillycate]

Oh thank goodness.  So the capped worker brood I saw might mean everything is fine.  I hope so!  I am using TBHs, so I also today gave them extra room between the brood and honey in case they were honey bound.  Should I resist the temptation to pester them soon?

[MustbeeNuts]

You only get once chance to do first hive inspections, that is all part of the fun of learning, They do prefer to be left alone, but inspections are your window to the bees. Don't over do it, but at first every three or four days is fine. I have even done a daily. but usually much hsn't happened in a day. New packages sometimes take a bit to really get rolling. There isn't as many problems as it sounds. The bee's know what to do. Let them do there thing, and  enjoy them.

As far as the swarm, wait a few day and see if they stay and make a home, you could dig around but its easier to wait and see if you get eggs.  they need comb  for her to lay in. Good luck with the swarm.

 Don't worry ,, Bee Happy!

[Hethen57]

I can only resist that temptation for about a week... :roll:  Otherwise, I just make sure they are supplied with syrup for drawing combs and watch them come and go for a few minutes each morning and evening...which probably sounds ridiculous to anyone but a true "bee-nut".  I have found...at least in getting the packages going...that there is usually something to correct or take note of on the weekly inspections and it is really interesting to track their progress.  I just made my first Nuc and introduced a new queen...it was so cool!