Cluster of Bees in Hive

[mrrcrogersjr]

Four days ago I installed a 3 lb package, with queen, shipped up from Georgia.
Upon inspection, the queen was out of the cage, which I removed, but there were two dead bees in the cage... Hmmm.

I couldn't find the queen, but I figure that she won't look too much different from the other bees at this point in time...

I did find a cluster of bees in the hive, about the size of a child's fist... I smoked them, and they didn't disperse...

Here's the question... Is there a chance that my queen is dead in the cluster of bees, or am I just overly nervous?

[LtlWilli]

---Nervous...I feel that sue is alive in there. No cluster would continue to guard a dead body. It'll be all right, I believe...Sh'e just shy.
LtlWikli