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.
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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