Hello all. My first post, but I am a second year beekeeper. Last year I started with a nuc and this year I got 2 more packages. I installed both packages last friday (4/19/2014) and I checked them today. Both queens released, one has multiple frames filled with eggs. The other hive (I found the queen) was honey bound with syrup. Both hives take a bit over a quart/day. The honey bound package has 3 complete frames drawn and about 5 more with half a frame drawn (foundation less). I immediately stopped feeding this hive. What else can I do? will they eat the syrup to make more foundation? Or at least move it so the queen can start laying? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
1 week old package "honey bound"
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Welcome to Beesource!
In my opinion, its too soon to panic about the lack of eggs in hive #2. Two days after installation is not much time. It may be that that queen was released later than the queen in hive #1 and the queen had only been released for a few hours when you inspected.
I think that I would continue to offer feed to hive #2 at this point. After all, you do want them to continue to build comb. Bees certainly are capable of moving stores around when they need to. If by the end of this coming week there are still no eggs, one option could be to move a frame of eggs from hive #1. Reevaluate the feeding syrup issue at that time.
In my opinion, its too soon to panic about the lack of eggs in hive #2. Two days after installation is not much time. It may be that that queen was released later than the queen in hive #1 and the queen had only been released for a few hours when you inspected.
I think that I would continue to offer feed to hive #2 at this point. After all, you do want them to continue to build comb. Bees certainly are capable of moving stores around when they need to. If by the end of this coming week there are still no eggs, one option could be to move a frame of eggs from hive #1. Reevaluate the feeding syrup issue at that time.
Thanks for the response! It has been about 9 days since I installed them, hence the worry about being "syrup bound". I would of thought they would slow down, but no, they just want to fill every cell with sugar water. I am not worried about he queens ability, I just would like to see some space for her to lay...haha.
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Well, your original post said this ...
... so something doesn't add up here.
If you really meant Friday April 11th, consider moving a frame of eggs to hive #2 and see what happens.
Well, your original post said this ...
... so something doesn't add up here.
If you really meant Friday April 11th, consider moving a frame of eggs to hive #2 and see what happens.
Haha, total mix-up on my part. Yes, I installed late friday 4/11/2014 night. I released the cork and exposed the soft candy on the JZBZ queen cage 3 days after installation on both hives. Today 9 days after initial installation, I removed queen cages. In hive 1 saw a ton of eggs in hive 2 they had a bunch more bees (drift?) but all available cells were filled with sugar water. I was lucky to see the queen cruising around (not marked, even though it was advertised as marked).
Most of you here seem to think it is a bit early for her to be laying or at least not too late, so I will wait. In the mean time, I removed the feed and I will check back next weekend. It seems there is a flow so they should be fine. If there are no eggs next week I will transfer a frame of and see if they raise supercedure cells. Is that a decent plan? Or would that be too long to wait? Is there any chance for them to abscond or swarm due to backfilled broodnest?
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How long were they in the packages before you released them? Were they some of ours?
I am not sure if they are yours, I don't know who/what company you represent, but since there are not too many in our immediate area, maybe. I did pick them up from dixon on Friday night 8pm. I came home and did a lazy install, just removed the queen and feeder put the whole package in a deep with another deep full of frames above them with the queen suspended in the middle of a frame above the box. The next day removed the bottom deep, as they all moved up around the queen cage.
I am guessing they boxed the packages that day, so they packages were only together max of 12 hours before being hived. But I did not expose the candy until monday (3 days) and I figure it took them another day or two to eat through and release the queen. It was just a bit strange that the queen I found was not marked, either hygienic behavior or there was an extra queen in that package? Either way she looks dark caramel colored like a Carni I ordered and similar coloring to the queen in the cage that had a yellow mark. Let just hope she starts laying when/if some cells open up.
I usually stop when they stop taking it or when they have the brood nest completely drawn and at least couple of frames of stores. For me the brood nest is 2 deep boxes. They usually stop taking syrup before the second box is done as our flow usually starts by then.
I've had package queens that laid as soon as they were released. I've had package queens that didn't start until two weeks after they were released...
Quick update: Yesterday (2weeks from installation and maybe 10 days since queen release) I checked on my hive. Found the queen again, and she is still not laying. The bees have made room from her and have almost 6 complete frames built (foundation less). I decided to put a frame of eggs from my other package (that is laying and has 4 frames of eggs/brood). I did see some queen cells built on the bottom of the frames, but no eggs inside. I will check on the hive next week, either they will make some supercedure cells or she will start laying, who knows. thanks again for the insight.
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I'm curious to see how this goes. Thanks for the link to this thread. I'm going to give mine a little more time and check on them again. I wonder if swapping frames with your other hive will help.
fingers crossed
fingers crossed
I think that is a good idea. Is there a nectar source? I would stop feeding if there is. I want the queen feed from nectar not syrup.
another update. It has been a solid 2 weeks since the queen was released (install April 12, queen released by April 16th) and on my inspection of the hive today there are still no eggs. The frame of eggs I gave them last week are all capped into worker brood and no queen cells were made. On previous inspections I saw the queen, but todays I didn't, although I wasn't looking very hard. I have no reason to suspect they are queen less. They are quiet and docile and are very productive, just no eggs. I would appreciate any more insight, should I add more frames of eggs, contact my supplier about the queen, or wait another week? Michael bush said it could take 3 weeks to for a queen to start laying. How common is this?
BTW, my other package is gang busters, the queen is huge and has brood/eggs on 8 frames. It seems as soon as they make foundation, she lays in it.
BTW, my other package is gang busters, the queen is huge and has brood/eggs on 8 frames. It seems as soon as they make foundation, she lays in it.
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