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Queen

3K views 10 replies 5 participants last post by  Michael Bush 
#1 ·
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
 
#2 ·
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....
 
#4 ·
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.
 
#7 ·
Nature's Nectar does have queens at this very moment in Stillwater. Call him tonight and get one. His phone number is (651) 439-8793.

11108 Manning Trail N
Stillwater, MN 55082

Call him this evening early after supper. Ask for Jim.

Ron
 
#9 ·
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.
 
#10 ·
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.
 
#11 ·
>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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