I probably just squished my new queen. Advice please?

[wanderyr]

I just did something very bad to my new hive, at the worst time for them.

It's a new package, installed a little less than a month ago, into a 8-frame medium with Mann PF-120's. I had just put the second medium on last week, and they haven't started drawing it yet. The bees from the first eggs should be starting to emerge tomorrow or the next day. So, the population is at its lowest.

A few hours ago I got into the hive for an inspection. When I lifted the (mostly empty) medium hive body up off of the populated medium, it brought four frames from the lower box. They were glued to the upper frames with bridge comb. I'm sure some girls got squished, because it never occured to me that I had frames hanging off the bottom...

Anyway, I realized what had happened. I feared that the hanging frames would come unstuck and fall into (onto) the hive box. Trying not to panic, I moved the whole mess aside, and rested the bottoms of the frames on the grass. Before I could figure out how to stabilize them, they did come loose. They leaned up against each other, and toppled over onto their sides. Perfect motion for rolling all the bees between them.

And, of course, they were the four frames that made up the brood nest.

-sigh-

I scrambled into my full suit (I had been wearing only a veil) and reassembled the hive. It didn't look like many of the brood cells got damaged, thankfully. I assume, however, that the queen was squished.

-another sigh-

Now, three hours later, the bees have calmed down a bit. The are still coming and going, like before. There are a few outside the entrance beating their wings. I don't know if it's temperature control or scenting.

If I did kill the queen I'm inclined to replace her, so that this fledgling hive won't have a long setback getting another queen going. How long should I wait, before going into the hive and checking to see if the queen is alive or not? How long will it take them to start an emergency queen cell? And, when I install the new queen, I assume I just remove any emergency cells at the same time?

Anyone have a suggestion where I might get a queen right away? I'm in northern Nevada...

Thanks for listening to me freak out,
wanderyr

[Littlestinger]

I wouldnt worry about it too much just yet. Maybe check around and see if there are any suppliers in your area, but for now I would just wait a few days, then go back into the hive and see if you can find the queen or any fresh eggs.

If not, then either get a queen or just wait for the bees to go ahead and make their own. Its not really the end of the world if the bees dont have a queen for a few weeks. You can always give them an extra frame of capped brood from another hive to help them catch up.

[BeeCurious]

Wait four days.... hopefully you will see eggs when you check.

[Peter]

Even if you did kill the queen there are, presumably, new eggs in there and the workers will make themselves one or more queen cells out of some of those.

[mfranzosa]

Nice to know I'm not the only one that has happened to. When I did it it was only 1 frame. I searched all around the ground for the queen and couldn't find her. Fortunately she was still in the box, although I freaked for a few days. In this situation I would wait a few days and check back in. If you see new eggs or the queen then you know she's in there. If not then I would buy a new queen. You could let the bees raise their own but it could take a few weeks and you probably don't want to wait that long.

[johng]

It is a good habit to lift up and twist the super as you are taking it off. That will help keep this from happening again. Your queen is most likely ok.

[psisk]

If you find you dont have a queen Purvis bees sent me some within a few days of when I ordered them.

psisk

[wanderyr]

Thanks, everyone. Nice to hear some calm answers In a few days, I'll check to see what I can see. Thanks for the hint, johng. I was wondering how to prevent it in the future. Also, psisk, I'll look into Purvis!

Take care all,
wanderyr

[wanderyr]

All is well! Thanks for all your advice

I had checked after two days, because apparently I've never learned how to be patient . I didn't see the queen or emergency cells.

So, I checked again today (another four days), figuring I'd find one or the other. Lots of eggs!

Thanks again, everyone,
wanderyr

[Lburou]

It is a good habit to lift up and twist the super as you are taking it off. That will help keep this from happening again. Your queen is most likely ok.

With the double deep configuration I have with my new NUC colonies, I take the top cover and inner cover off and remove the center frames to see if it is attached to the frame in the lower hive body before taking the upper hive body off. More than half the time, they are stuck together. HTH