Update pictures while putting new body on

[darrellva]

I placed the new bodys on today to try and pin point the queen. I was able to get a frame out of the old brood box out to put in the new box. I was able to do this from both hives. Here is some pictures there is also some vidoe of it on the video section of this forum.

[darrellva]

[c10250]

I'm no expert, but aren't those all drones on that frame. Drone layer??? Did you see your queen?

[concrete-bees]

id plan on requeening the hives - that looks like you have no queen and a laying worker hive

[c10250]

If you have a laying worker, you can't just stick a queen in there. They will kill her for sure. I know from experience. Also, that frame looked exactly like my hive's frames when I had a laying worker. Ouch.

Let's hope it's not. I eventually killed my hive.

[darrellva]

Just in case you all didnt read on the other topic I just went and got these hives from a man that had not touched the hives in years. These are most likely swarms that have taken up house in the hives some time back. The comb inside is a mess and I just about never got that one frame out to put in the new brood box. those frames I took pictures of are the first frame in the old box I didnt try and take any others out. I don't know if that has to do with it being drones or has to do with so little brood but it is the first frame in the old box.

[KQ6AR]

Thats a lot of brood for an outside frame, & the pattern doesn't look bad. Maybe the queen is laying drones in an old honey frame with larger cells.
It would be interesting to see a frame from the middle of the broodnest.
Keep an eye on what they do in the new box you put on top. You should have the answer in a few weeks.

[Velbert]

that lookes good to me

it looks like drone cells to me with drone brood in them

if it was drones being raised in worker cells the dome on the capping would be higher above the comb

[balhanapi]

I agree , outside frames are supposed to look like that. I would not requeen these hives. They look good to me..
I would try to get the other frames out too. Once they start getting nectar the top super will get heavy, and would be a disaster it the older box gives way.