Sweet!

[Mklangelo]

Six days after install and I was lucky enough to have about 80 years of beekeeping experience there with me, (my coworker and his 86 year old mother).  We were 15 feet from the hives and she saw workers bringing in pollen before I got within 5 feet!  According to her, that means you have a laying Queen. 

We saw eggs and loads of pollen being brought in.  The one queen we did locate was very young and active.

I don't know how large the eggs are when they are laid, but I saw them today. Not much bigger than a comma in a newspaper. Nice laying pattern, and lots of comb being drawn.  Lots of activity on the outer frames.  Since this is only the second day of nice weather they have had since install, they are doing really great.  I'm pleased.

[AllanJ]

Just because the bees are bringing in pollen does not mean you automatically have a laying queen.. if I understood your statement correctly. 

It is great to see eggs in a hive..  :)

[Mklangelo]

Just because the bees are bringing in pollen does not mean you automatically have a laying queen.. if I understood your statement correctly. 

It is great to see eggs in a hive..  :)

Then this woman does not know her bees.  She clearly stated that if pollen is being brought in the hive, then there is brood.

[Understudy]

I have a queenless nuc right now. They are bringing in pollen.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

[DavePaulson]

Cool, just installed mine yesterday they appear to be doing fine. Kept bees in the mid 70s when I was a  teen. Didn't have access to the informatiion we do now though. Congrats and good luck!

Dave

[DavePaulson]

Oh yea and cut the old lady some slack. She might be mixed up on that but she probably still has alot to offer.

Dave

[Michael Bush]

>Then this woman does not know her bees.  She clearly stated that if pollen is being brought in the hive, then there is brood.

There are many very good beekeepers who believe that.

I've seen a queenless hive haul it in like there was no tomorrow and I've seen them not haul any at all.  So no pollen is a pretty good indication you don't have any brood being reared, but pollen does not prove you do have brood being reared...

[Zoot]

I have 1 queenless hive that is bringing in loads of pollen. The bees are very calm and very busy. They made queen cells a while back and I hope to have a virgin queen (queens) any day if they're not hatched already. They never stopped foraging even when we had throughly inspected the hive and noted the original queen's disappearance.  The first brood of the spring had hatched out and there were no eggs, no larva, nothing but the queen cells which had been filled and capped.

[Mklangelo]

>Then this woman does not know her bees.  She clearly stated that if pollen is being brought in the hive, then there is brood.

There are many very good beekeepers who believe that.

I've seen a queenless hive haul it in like there was no tomorrow and I've seen them not haul any at all.  So no pollen is a pretty good indication you don't have any brood being reared, but pollen does not prove you do have brood being reared...

Wow.  I see.  She is the sweetest little old lady.  I didn't mean to sound so harsh.  I did thank her profusly for taking the trouble to come out. 

[Brian D. Bray]

The idea of pollen being brought in only by a queen right hive is a belief that has been around for a long time.  It was one of the things I learned from my mentor that I had to unlearn.  Bees will bring in pollen anytime anywhere as they need it for food themselves not just for rearing brood.  A laying worker hive has drone brood. 
Seeing the queen, eggs, or brood in different stages of development is the only ways to establish the presence of a viable queen.  And the last indicator leaves open the possibility that the queen as left with a swarm and the new queen hasn't started to lay yet.