Gary Walters
03-27-2008, 02:36 PM
I lost a queen last year and combined my hive bodies. I just pulled of 10 frames of honey stores from winter and build out foundation. I am getting a new package - can I use these to start new hive? Also, I have 3 brood chambers on hive now, is that too many. There are a lot of bees. One last question, at the bottom of some of the frames, there are cell that stick way out about 30 or so on each frame - not normal capped brood - are these queen or drone cell?
I lost a queen last year and combined my hive bodies. I just pulled of 10 frames of honey stores from winter and build out foundation. I am getting a new package - can I use these to start new hive?
Sure, it will give them a quick start.
Also, I have 3 brood chambers on hive now, is that too many.
It depends. If you have enough bees to protect and regulate that much space, then no. If the bees are spread too thin, then yes. Better to be a little crowded, but not over crowded.
One last question, at the bottom of some of the frames, there are cell that stick way out about 30 or so on each frame - not normal capped brood - are these queen or drone cell?
If they point downward, then they maybe unfinished queen cups. If they point down and are capped, they may have been queen cells that failed. If they stick out, like a normal cell but farther, then they are drone.