I installed 4 new packages on 4/11. today was my first inspection. 1 of the 4 is a gonner. there were a bunch of bees clustered in the hive top feeder and under that ontop of the frames were next to dead bees, pretty much half the colony. no work had been done on the frames at all. there were white little speckles all in the syrup and on the bees. I am writing this hive off as a loss (I'm ok with that)
The next one I checked, I saw no queen but I think I saw eggs. frames are being drawn out. I see clumps of pollen in cells.
The third one I checked I saw a queen, but also supercedure cells.
Do they just not like their queens? should I:
a- re-queen?
b- let them handle it?
c-do nothing and check back in a week and make a decision then?
any thoughts on whats going on here other than, don't start with packages and just get nucs from now on? lol.
todd
The next one I checked, I saw no queen but I think I saw eggs. frames are being drawn out. I see clumps of pollen in cells.
The third one I checked I saw a queen, but also supercedure cells.
Do they just not like their queens? should I:
a- re-queen?
b- let them handle it?
c-do nothing and check back in a week and make a decision then?
any thoughts on whats going on here other than, don't start with packages and just get nucs from now on? lol.
todd