Hi All, I just received my first package on thursday May 10 and pulled the cork and set the queen cage between the center frames. I inspected the hive Sunday May13 to find that the candy was gone and the queen was still in the cage dead. She was not dead when I put her in the hive on thursday. What should I do now? thanks in advance.
David
Contact your supplier and see if they will work with you (ie replace with a new queen)....or you may have to purchase a new one from them or another supplier. I think I would try my best to get a free replacement first, all they can do is say no... Also, do you happen to have a local bee club (or know of another local beekeper)? If so, perhaps someone there will have queens availalble, or have queen cells in one of their hives that they don't want.....just a thought.
If there is no queen, the bees will promptly behave "very abnormally." Restless... pointless. They'll also sound different. Check in a couple days to see what they are actually doing in there. If you see them seeming to "be busy about doing what bees do," the situation might actually be just fine. Otherwise, any bee package supplier worth his or her salt will guarantee you a queen and you should encounter nothing more than, "Really? Okay, no problem. I'll send you one right away. Sorry for the inconvenience."
Very. Usually they move next door if they have no queen and there is a hive next door...
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