I hived a package and the queen was not let out of the cage and died. I have two other hives, and they SHOULD have queens in them. Should I order a new queen or take a frame of eggs from another hive in a few days?? Thanks
It'll take 14 or so days to let the bees raise a queen from a healthy larva. Then you have to wait until she flys and breeds. If you can get a queen in 3-5 days from a breeder, that would be the quickest way to get you hive into production. If no queens are available, that limits your options....
Plus, if the queen they raise fails to come back, then you are really doomed. I would order a queen ASAP. Don't forget, you can't quick release a new queen, she has to be in the hive for a few days first.
Was the queen dead in the cage when the package arrived? Even if she wasn't, sometimes they kill the queen (or ignore her to death by not feeding her) because there is a queen loose in the package. I got one like that this year. I'd try to make sure you actually don't have a queen. Unfortunately the queen loose in a package is often a virgin and she will have to mate and then it may still be a few days before she starts to lay.
Michael, she was alive... but barely it seemed. She was not very active just kind of sat there. Is there a company close to MN for queens? Last time I got them from GA.
Who did you get your packages from? Check with them first. Otherwise, Nature's Nectar might have some, he's in Stillwater, Beeman202 just advertised on this post he had some left-he's in St.Paul, or check with Cannon Bee in Mpls.
Yeah I got them from Natures Nectar. I called him and didn't get a answeer so I left a message. Do you think that the bees would be okay if I got the queen on Saturday or would that be to long?
Saturday should not be a problem. But I still would not rule out that they may already HAVE a queen. Packages often have one loose and that's usually the cause of losing a queen when the bees are very healthy and in good shape. If they have a queen they will reject another one too.
Michael, I'm not going to rule that out, but I didn't see any eggs today. Jim said he would get me a new one for free (Isn't that nice of him?) because it died.
I'm kind of changing the subject, but what if (not to say it happened) a queen cage with the queen fell from inbetween the 2 frames? I was wondering about that for a while.
>Michael, I'm not going to rule that out, but I didn't see any eggs today.
Usually, but not always, when a queen ends up in a package it's a virgin. If so it will be at least a week or two before she mates and starts to lay.
>I'm kind of changing the subject, but what if (not to say it happened) a queen cage with the queen fell from inbetween the 2 frames? I was wondering about that for a while.
If it landed with the screen covered and it stayed there long enough the queen would starve or suffocate. If it landed with the screen showing the bees would feed her and she'd be fine.
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