[KimballDhillon]

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

 

[rhaldridge]

Sounds like small hive beetles. Wax worms are bigger.

If you freeze the frames for a couple days, it will kill the beetle larvae.

 

[gone2seed]

It is not too late to start over in Maryland if you find someone locally to sell you a nuc.You will have to feed them until the fall flow.After the fall flow be sure too check and be sure they have plenty of stores for winter.Make the beekeeper that you buy the nuc from show you the queen and plenty of brood.Put them into your hive and feed,feed,feed.Other than feeding,LEAVE THEM ALONE for a month. More queens are killed by new beekeepers "looking for the queen"than any other reason. Good luck and don't give up.

 

[treeWinder]

As you describe it sounds like SHB now as they are smaller like maggots (wax moth worms larger), also sounds like it was robbed out. Sometimes the bees just leave, no perfect answer to why but many suspected reasons. Search internet pictures of each and then you'll have a better idea.

Yes plenty of time left to start over in this area.

Pasadena, Md.

 

[KimballDhillon]

Thanks for the insight. Pretty certain that it was SHB. I did find someone local willing to sell me a NUC. Looking forward t.o continuing the adventure.
thanks again.

 

[kilocharlie]

Kimball - Welcome to Beesource! :banana: Nice first posts, and I suspect the answers given are correct. Like they said, stick with beekeeping. Expect several failures, but stick with it. YOU WILL GET BETTER, especially now that you have some experience getting help here on Beesource. :gh: