View Full Version : Quick help! Lost queen.
jdagpatton
05-09-2006, 01:03 PM
I checked my 2 new hives last Monday and all seemed well. Both hives had nectar, eggs, pollen, and even some capped honey along the edges. I checked them again today (eight days since last inspection). One hive is doing well, larva, capped brood, saw the queen. The other hive had about 1 frame of capped brood and several queen cells in the middle of the frames. One queen cell was already complete and closed. I did not find my marked queen, I assume she is dead. Should I order new queen or let them raise their own? Is the colony big enough to survive waiting on a new queen to hatch, mate, and begin laying. My biggest problem with ordering is that I am going to be out of town thursday thru sunday. Can I wait to order a queen on Monday? This is a new hive from package. It has about 4 frames drawn and 1 with capped brood.
Jeffrey Todd
05-09-2006, 02:26 PM
I think the easiest and surest thing for you to do would be to let them raise their own. It is cheaper, acceptance is guaranteed, and your local bees may be better adapted to your area.
I agree with Jeff. Let them raise their own.
<Is the colony big enough to survive waiting on a new queen to hatch, mate, and begin laying.> For now, yes. When the capped brood hatches you can take a frame of brood from the other hive and give it to this hive for quicker buildup.
jdagpatton
05-09-2006, 02:53 PM
Thanks guys,
Letting them raise their own was my first instinct. The other hive seems to be doing really well.......capped brood covering almost an entire frame.
Michael Bush
05-09-2006, 02:59 PM
>One queen cell was already complete and closed.
That means it is at least eight days along.
>I did not find my marked queen, I assume she is dead. Should I order new queen or let them raise their own? Is the colony big enough to survive waiting on a new queen to hatch, mate, and begin laying.
The new queen will be laying somewhere between two weeks from now and three weeks from now. By the time you find a queen, arrange to have it mailed, get it here, introduce it, and, if it's been banked a while, it kicks into full laying, it may be that same amount of time. I'd let them take care of it, but many would point out the time delay.
jdagpatton
05-10-2006, 07:30 AM
Since the cell must be eight days old, that means they began it the same day I last checked the hive. The queen was alive and laying then. perhaps my hive check led to her death. I know I didnt squish her as I saw her moving down into the frames after I had replaced them all.