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My second year. I overwintered one hive. I added a second one in April. I checked them each weekend throughout May and both looked awesome - lots of brood and beautiful patterns. Found the queens each time and felt a bit proud for that. The new one was marked <cough> but, still.
First weekend in June I checked the new hive. No queen (that I could find) and only a half a frame of brood. I couldn't believe the change. It went from fantastic to seemingly going down hill. No queen cups; swarm; or supercedure cells. Still calm, I told myself to grab a frame with eggs from the old hive and place it in here.
But, no, when i checked the old hive, it too was almost empty of brood. Just some drone brood and a few random capped brood. I only know what I have read; and I have read here about laying-workers and so panic quickly set-in. I gave it a few days and there didn't seem to be any change so I called Walter T Kelly and order two new queens.
I hived them three weeks ago. I checked them two weeks ago. They were released from their respective cages. And also gone. $70 bucks <$KaChing$>
Also, and this had me scratching my head... the old hive was now chock-full of swarm cells and supercedure cells... Interesting considering I didn't think it had a queen... It was still oddly free of brood, though.
On Tuesday my wife called me at work to ask what was going on in the old hive. She said there was a vortex of bees emitting from it and the funnel cloud was as high as our second story bedroom window. She said it was really loud, too. That is when I leaned forward at my desk and grasped my head in my hands.
So, today I checked both hives. Once again the new hive has lots of brood, nectar, and honey. No queen cups or anything else. Somehow, it rebounded. I didn't find a queen but I am confident she is there. What happened, I do not know.
The old hive, which threw the swarm, still has plenty of bees. They are back filling everywhere with nectar. The dozen or so swarm cells are gone. No capped brood. I know what you are thinking... Will this guy ask the question, please?
So, in the new hive, does the queen stop laying for some reason only to rally later?
From what I've read, the old hive experienced a classic swarm. I've read that the queen will in fact pull-back from laying as though to preserve her energy. I assume that the fact that the swarm cells have all been pulled down means I probably have a new queen running around and it is going to take another couple of weeks before she begins laying?
First weekend in June I checked the new hive. No queen (that I could find) and only a half a frame of brood. I couldn't believe the change. It went from fantastic to seemingly going down hill. No queen cups; swarm; or supercedure cells. Still calm, I told myself to grab a frame with eggs from the old hive and place it in here.
But, no, when i checked the old hive, it too was almost empty of brood. Just some drone brood and a few random capped brood. I only know what I have read; and I have read here about laying-workers and so panic quickly set-in. I gave it a few days and there didn't seem to be any change so I called Walter T Kelly and order two new queens.
I hived them three weeks ago. I checked them two weeks ago. They were released from their respective cages. And also gone. $70 bucks <$KaChing$>
Also, and this had me scratching my head... the old hive was now chock-full of swarm cells and supercedure cells... Interesting considering I didn't think it had a queen... It was still oddly free of brood, though.
On Tuesday my wife called me at work to ask what was going on in the old hive. She said there was a vortex of bees emitting from it and the funnel cloud was as high as our second story bedroom window. She said it was really loud, too. That is when I leaned forward at my desk and grasped my head in my hands.
So, today I checked both hives. Once again the new hive has lots of brood, nectar, and honey. No queen cups or anything else. Somehow, it rebounded. I didn't find a queen but I am confident she is there. What happened, I do not know.
The old hive, which threw the swarm, still has plenty of bees. They are back filling everywhere with nectar. The dozen or so swarm cells are gone. No capped brood. I know what you are thinking... Will this guy ask the question, please?
So, in the new hive, does the queen stop laying for some reason only to rally later?
From what I've read, the old hive experienced a classic swarm. I've read that the queen will in fact pull-back from laying as though to preserve her energy. I assume that the fact that the swarm cells have all been pulled down means I probably have a new queen running around and it is going to take another couple of weeks before she begins laying?