[jhs494]

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.

 

[honeyman46408]

Is it too early to panic?

Yes

Does the multiple eggs always mean a laying working?

No

 

[KQ6AR]

If you have the extra resources, which you might not. You could put a frame of eggs from a good hive into the suspect hives to see if they make queen cells.

 

[jdpro5010]

A young queen will often lay multiple eggs for a day or two until she gets into the swing of things. This is most likely the problem you are seeing. As far as the supercedure cells are concerned that is not uncommon either. A new hive will sometimes supercede there queen for one reason or another. Some say this happens 50 or 60 percent of the time. It is a little unusual to see it this quick but not unheard of. I would not worry about it. Check back in a week or two and if necessary you can then add a frame or two of eggs for them to use to make a new queen if necessary.

 

[jhs494]

If you have the extra resources, which you might not. You could put a frame of eggs from a good hive into the suspect hives to see if they make queen cells.

Yes I do have other hives. But none are located at that spot. How long should I wait before I take a frame to them?
If i wait another week and it will take them 18 days to hatch a queen, What am I gonna have left there?
Should I wait a week and take a frame of capped brood along with some nurse bees and a frame of eggs? I mean if there is no progress by then.

 

[Countryboy]

Are the multiple eggs at the bottom of the cells, or on the sides of the cells? Laying workers deposit eggs on the sides of the cells. Often young queens that are just getting started laying will lay multiple eggs in the bottoms of cells.

Laying workers can only raise drones, and bees never use drones in supercedure cells. They need a fertilized egg (female) to raise a supercedure queen.

With packages, it is a minimum of 21 days before you start to have brood emerging. During this time until brood starts emerging, the bees often blame the queen and start supercedure cells. If you add a frame of sealed brood to the hive within the first 2 weeks, it lessens the chance of the bees trying to supercede the queen.