We installed 3 packages with caged queens on the 8th. of April.
The queens on all three had been released by three days later.
We checked on all three today the 19th. of April.
All three have been working well, bees seem calm and bringing in pollen.
The first had few eggs , no larva, and of the eggs that we spotted there was multiple eggs in many of the cells. We didn't spot the queen. This hive had been started on drawn out frames.
The second had many eggs, and was loaded with larva. Spotted the queen. All was well.
The third hive, which is about 10- 15 minutes from home, again had few eggs, no larva and multiple eggs in many cells. Didn't spot the queen. At least three supercedure cells. This hive had been started on foundation, and we have been feeding 1:1 sugar syrup since the start. They had four frames about 60-75% drawn by day three when we checked and found the queen released.
Is it too early to panic?
Does the multiple eggs always mean a laying working?
Will they make supercedure cells if there is a laying worker?
If I try and get another queen and put it into the hives with multiple eggs in the cells will they reject her for the laying worker?
Could I combine hives one and two using the newspaper combine method and get away with it? These hives are within 15 feet of each other.
I am not sure what to do with hive three.
The queens on all three had been released by three days later.
We checked on all three today the 19th. of April.
All three have been working well, bees seem calm and bringing in pollen.
The first had few eggs , no larva, and of the eggs that we spotted there was multiple eggs in many of the cells. We didn't spot the queen. This hive had been started on drawn out frames.
The second had many eggs, and was loaded with larva. Spotted the queen. All was well.
The third hive, which is about 10- 15 minutes from home, again had few eggs, no larva and multiple eggs in many cells. Didn't spot the queen. At least three supercedure cells. This hive had been started on foundation, and we have been feeding 1:1 sugar syrup since the start. They had four frames about 60-75% drawn by day three when we checked and found the queen released.
Is it too early to panic?
Does the multiple eggs always mean a laying working?
Will they make supercedure cells if there is a laying worker?
If I try and get another queen and put it into the hives with multiple eggs in the cells will they reject her for the laying worker?
Could I combine hives one and two using the newspaper combine method and get away with it? These hives are within 15 feet of each other.
I am not sure what to do with hive three.