I am a first time beekeeper and I think I'd be more excited if the queen was healthy and laying well.
I saw my queen and it looks like her days are numbered.
I opened up my three hives today and found eggs, capped brood, and/or larvae in each. I was happy. I installed the packages on the 14th.
In the first hive I saw something that I had never seen before - MY FREE_ROAMING QUEEN! I looked for the wagon wheel and didn't see it. As a matter of fact, the bees around her really weren't super interested in what she was doing. This hive is my least active (at the entrance) so I knew something might be up. I did see eggs, larvae, and capped brood. She was just walking around. (It was the queen - not a drone)
Then I saw the queen cell! It is on one side of the frame, with another on the opposite side. A frame next to that had yet another!
Evidently they didn't like her laying patterns or something!
Well, this is exciting.
Now I just have to figure out if there's going to be a fight to the death between her and one of the new queens, or if she's going to vacate - taking some of the bees with her.
There's plenty of room in the brood box yet so I don't think the hive is unhappy with their digs, but maybe! I am going to put up a swarm trap just in case. Might not do any good, but it can't hurt.
Ok, last year, with one hive I would be in panic mode. This year, with three, I am excited!
I hope I'm not disappointed.
In the first hive I saw something that I had never seen before - MY FREE_ROAMING QUEEN! I looked for the wagon wheel and didn't see it. As a matter of fact, the bees around her really weren't super interested in what she was doing. This hive is my least active (at the entrance) so I knew something might be up. I did see eggs, larvae, and capped brood. She was just walking around. (It was the queen - not a drone)
Then I saw the queen cell! It is on one side of the frame, with another on the opposite side. A frame next to that had yet another!
Evidently they didn't like her laying patterns or something!
Well, this is exciting.
Now I just have to figure out if there's going to be a fight to the death between her and one of the new queens, or if she's going to vacate - taking some of the bees with her.There's plenty of room in the brood box yet so I don't think the hive is unhappy with their digs, but maybe! I am going to put up a swarm trap just in case. Might not do any good, but it can't hurt.
Ok, last year, with one hive I would be in panic mode. This year, with three, I am excited!
I hope I'm not disappointed.
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Well, I've been there, done that. This is new to me!
I'd be more satisfied if all was well and they were going by the book, but I wouldn't be more excited!
I thought about that tonight as well. It would be the perfect time to split - except that they came from a package and that would leave me with two fledgling hives and not one stronger one. I know I'll regret letting nature take its course, but I think that's best for me right now. (Unless I get enough cajoling to make the move!)
I opened this hive today for the first time since my original post.
I was pleased to see eggs, capped brood and some larvae. Nature works!
This hive is very slow compared to my others but the others did not go through a revolution. I still have three and a half frames in this hive that are untouched. I have a couple that are partially drawn and some that don't seem to be drawn very deep but have eggs.
There was one queen cup left - no sign of the others. The remaining one was sealed a month ago. It has an opening in it now, if it's even the same one!
We have one heckuva flow going on and even though I want this hive to draw comb, I figure it would be crazy to try to feed.
I put a second deep on a nearby hive. I expect that I am at least two weeks away from adding one onto this hive. In a few weeks, if this one is still lethargic, would it be wise to get a frame of eggs/brood/larvae from the new deep next door and put it in the deep that I will be adding? I've never added a frame of bees to a newly added deep. (I use plastic foundation and it would be the only thing drawn in the upper deep if I did it.) or should I just let it keep on keeping on?
I was pleased to see eggs, capped brood and some larvae. Nature works!
This hive is very slow compared to my others but the others did not go through a revolution. I still have three and a half frames in this hive that are untouched. I have a couple that are partially drawn and some that don't seem to be drawn very deep but have eggs.
There was one queen cup left - no sign of the others. The remaining one was sealed a month ago. It has an opening in it now, if it's even the same one!
We have one heckuva flow going on and even though I want this hive to draw comb, I figure it would be crazy to try to feed.
I put a second deep on a nearby hive. I expect that I am at least two weeks away from adding one onto this hive. In a few weeks, if this one is still lethargic, would it be wise to get a frame of eggs/brood/larvae from the new deep next door and put it in the deep that I will be adding? I've never added a frame of bees to a newly added deep. (I use plastic foundation and it would be the only thing drawn in the upper deep if I did it.) or should I just let it keep on keeping on?
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