[DaveOSU]

Second year beekeeper......

I am wondering how fast folks have seen capped brood after installing a queen. Literature indicates 8-9 days after laying egg . **can vary on temperatures and resources /food.

Installed a new package and after 3.5 weeks discovered I was queenless, I installed a new queen (Cordovan) and when I checked 6.5 days later to confirm she was released I found her, larvae and capped brood. I expected it to take longer for capped brood and now wonder if something else is happening. I manipulated the frames and place her cage between two with pollen, uncapped honey and plenty of room to lay. Weather has been warm 80's.

Otherwise, I would not have expected capped brood for 12-14 days so 6.5 shocked me...... did I finally catch a break?

Thank you for comments and thoughts.

 

[fieldsofnaturalhoney]

I don’t know the fastest, because I usually stay out, after directly releasing her Bee math gives & takes a day, but assuming she was released the day you put her in (unlikely depending on the hardness of the candy), the math seems fuzzy., count your blessing of her been accepted after 3.5 weeks of queen less ness.

 

[Bdfarmer555]

Any chance there was a virgin in the package? Was the cordovan queen marked? Sure it's the queen you bought?

 

[schmism]

6.5 days is impossibly quick. Even if you released the queen on day one and she layed on that day, its 8-9 days for capped cells period. As you didnt say you direct relased her, and its unlikely she layed the first day, its impossible for the capped cells to have been layed by the new queen you just installed.

 

[elmer_fud]

Are they capped worker or capped drone cells? If they are all drones you may have a laying worker. The fact that you found the queen after 6.5 days makes me think they accepted her, so your hive may be ok, and not have gone completely laying worker.

 

[DaveOSU]

It did not appear to be drone cells; however, my experience with a laying worker last year was initial capped cells did not look like typical drone cells. (yes, I seem to have a problem with queens). I reviewed photos of those with two experienced beekeepers and they thought it was queen right. A subsequent inspection found only typical obvious drone cells and no sign of worker cells.


Fast forward to this year, after talking to others and replies here, the general theory is maybe I had a laying worker just starting when I added the new queen. She has been accepted so with a bit of luck things will continue to correct course. I will inspect again next weekend.

I welcome any additional thoughts.