[Daemin]

I installed my first package of bees on the 22nd. I checked a few days later, and the queen was out, and I saw her, but no eggs or brood. I checked again yesterday, 2 weeks after installation, and there are no eggs, no brood, and no queen.

However, it looks like there are supercedure cells, one of which looks like it has a larva in it.

Here is a link to the cell with the larva (large pic): http://i.imgur.com/ygnaa.jpg

Here is a gallery with more images of the cells: http://imgur.com/a/CX93W/supercedure/all

I guess what puzzles me is, where did that larva come from? Could the queen really have only laid an egg or two before kicking the bucket (or getting accidentally killed by me)? It didn't look like there was any larva in the other cells, and, as you can see in the images, there is nothing but syrup elsewhere in the frame.

Should I go ahead and order a new queen, or wait and see what they do?

 

[Breakfast with the Bees]

Awesome pictures. (But I'm sorry, I can't help you!)

 

[devdog108]

Let them do it, they know what they want. She could have been failing or had a problem that you didnt know about. She was there, and they are superceding her from the looks of your pics....

 

[chevydmax04]

well my first question was if she was in there for two weeks and you saw no eggs or larva, where did the larva for the queen cell come from? I would order a queen.

 

[Monie]

If you wait for them to do their thing, it'll be 4 weeks before you see any eggs. If this is your only hive, order another queen.

 

[Daemin]

well my first question was if she was in there for two weeks and you saw no eggs or larva, where did the larva for the queen cell come from? I would order a queen.

This is exactly what puzzles me.

Why only one larva? It just seems incredibly unlikely that she laid only one egg, but I'll be ****ed if I can find any more.

 

[devdog108]

it was there.....somewhere...or it wouldnt be in the cell.....i missed some the other day as well...but they were there!

 

[johng]

I'm with d dog. She laid some eggs or they would not of been able to make queen cells. The eggs are very hard to see, it took me quite a while before I was able to see eggs on a regular basis.

 

[Michael Palmer]

However, it looks like there are supercedure cells, one of which looks like it has a larva in it.

I guess what puzzles me is, where did that larva come from?

Should I go ahead and order a new queen, or wait and see what they do?

Hopelessley queenless colonies will try their best to raise a new queen. Worker bees lay the eggs, and the bees draw out the cell. Only a drone develops, and usually not to emergence. I guess you could order a queen, and add brood from another colony if you have one. Most likely too late. Another package bee failure. Seems more fail now-a-days than are successful.

 

[jbw]

Failure rate seems to be high with packages. It must be stressful with the shaking and shipping not to mention getting to know the new queen at the same time. I won't buy them any more.