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Hello, newbie here. I put a package of bees(w/queen) into a new hive on April 24th. I am in Annapolis, Maryland. I used a deep box with ten frames with new plastic foundation. I also used a top feeder. The queen box had 8 or nine bees in it, was not able to actually confirm a queen. One did look a little different, and I assumed that was her. As the weeks went by, they were drawing out comb slowly, as in four frames, 6-8" circles on each side, the rest bare, though mostly covered with bees. Never was able to identify the queen. By the second week, some of the barely drawn comb on the perimeter had 2-3 eggs. Thought it was worker layers, but by the third week, there was quite a bit of larvae in the cells. Larvae was more pinkish than white. Also, still not a lot more drawn comb. Filled top feeder on third week. Throughout, there was a lot of in and out bee activity. I thought maybe I was bothering them too much so I didn't check them on the fourth week. At the fifth week I checked and the bees were gone, there was lots of little white larvae, maybe maggots? active in the comb, but all the honey had been taken and about half the comb is gone. There are a lot of dead bees in the bottom, but not 10,000.
Do you think I never had a viable queen. Is this wax moth? Sorry, I don't know how to post pictures here. Is there any chance of starting over this year. I was beginning to enjoy the whole process. Any help or advise would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers, Kimball Dhillon
Do you think I never had a viable queen. Is this wax moth? Sorry, I don't know how to post pictures here. Is there any chance of starting over this year. I was beginning to enjoy the whole process. Any help or advise would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers, Kimball Dhillon