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12 Posts
Hi Everyone,
So we're about a month into beekeeping. Its been going pretty great, so much fun, and so much to learn. Today I opened up one of our hives and right away noticed a capped emergency queen cell. Upon further inspection i found several other capped EQ cells. In addition there were no eggs and no larvae that I could see. There is some capped brood on 5-6 frames although not nearly as much as I'd like to feel comfortable about the current situation. There do seem to be a fair amount of bees inside the hive and significant foragers coming and going from the hive. Although the honey/pollen stores are also somewhat concerning. I'm 11 days out from last last inspection in which I did observe eggs and lots of larvae. I'm thinking the queen was crushed or pinned due to a poor hive manipulation of just bad luck during that inspection and I am thinking the bees got right to work on rearing a new queen. According to the bee math, I'm looking at a virgin queen emerging this Friday at the earliest, and laying again Sat 6/15 if everything goes perfectly.
My plan is to add a feeder to the hive to bolster nutrition. We also have a second hive that is doing quite well and has already had a second brood box added to it. I am considering moving a frame of capped brood/pollen/honey into the struggling hive as well. Maybe its just being a new beek, but I am intrigued to see how it goes trying things with a virgin queen. Is that a bad move? My concern with purchasing a fertile queen is that even if I am able to pick one up locally it will not be until Friday this week that I would be able to introduce her to the queenless hive, which puts me close to when a virgin queen might emerge anyways. I guess I could get back in there and squash the several EQ cells though... Am I on the right track? I'd love any advice on whether or not it is a poor move to wait it out and give the bees and a virgin queen a shot and if I'd be better off just to get a fertile queen asap. If I go the route of letting the hive work things out, should I get back in there sooner than later to add the feeder/frame from the other hive?
So we're about a month into beekeeping. Its been going pretty great, so much fun, and so much to learn. Today I opened up one of our hives and right away noticed a capped emergency queen cell. Upon further inspection i found several other capped EQ cells. In addition there were no eggs and no larvae that I could see. There is some capped brood on 5-6 frames although not nearly as much as I'd like to feel comfortable about the current situation. There do seem to be a fair amount of bees inside the hive and significant foragers coming and going from the hive. Although the honey/pollen stores are also somewhat concerning. I'm 11 days out from last last inspection in which I did observe eggs and lots of larvae. I'm thinking the queen was crushed or pinned due to a poor hive manipulation of just bad luck during that inspection and I am thinking the bees got right to work on rearing a new queen. According to the bee math, I'm looking at a virgin queen emerging this Friday at the earliest, and laying again Sat 6/15 if everything goes perfectly.
My plan is to add a feeder to the hive to bolster nutrition. We also have a second hive that is doing quite well and has already had a second brood box added to it. I am considering moving a frame of capped brood/pollen/honey into the struggling hive as well. Maybe its just being a new beek, but I am intrigued to see how it goes trying things with a virgin queen. Is that a bad move? My concern with purchasing a fertile queen is that even if I am able to pick one up locally it will not be until Friday this week that I would be able to introduce her to the queenless hive, which puts me close to when a virgin queen might emerge anyways. I guess I could get back in there and squash the several EQ cells though... Am I on the right track? I'd love any advice on whether or not it is a poor move to wait it out and give the bees and a virgin queen a shot and if I'd be better off just to get a fertile queen asap. If I go the route of letting the hive work things out, should I get back in there sooner than later to add the feeder/frame from the other hive?