Queen release

Feed them and give them 2 weeks. Don't visit too often; that causes them to slow down. Queens tend to be pretty resilient and can bounce back quickly.

Is it possible the screen on the queen wasn't exposed to the open part of the hive; the workers need to be able to feed her through the screen? Just a guess.

so what do I need to look at when I go back? Temps have been in the low 30's at night and the bees haven't been that active during the day. I put a top feeder on and put a gallon of sugar water in all the hives for a supplement since everything seems behind here.

I made sure that the queen was exposed when I installed them so she should have been getting fed.

I think I'm talking to myself here. see ya

Give the hives at least a week before looking back in. When you look through the hive, look for eggs, and small larvae. If you wait 2 weeks before going back in, look for capped brood which will be easier to see.

Thanks Brad I didn't really have a clue since these are my first bees and it's been so cold. Should I go back and make sure their feeders are OK ? I have top feeders that hold about a gallon or so of sugar water.

I've been clueless about bees too, most people on here were the same way when they started. Heck, I stay clueless about bees most of the time. Just read as much as you can, and try not to go in your hives too often. It's hard to stay out or at least it was for me, last year, my first year. It won't hurt to check the feeders.

Were there attendants in the cages with the queens when you got them?

The queen was in her cage by herself.

wild-b said:

The queen was in her cage by herself.

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As far as replies to your thread remember it is not instant chat Folks pop in folks pop out.

Nothing wrong with queen by herself in a cage in a package. The bee in the package will feed her. Just buying a single queen in a cage and not with a package there should be attendants. Seems you did a direct release and did not let them chew her out through the candy plug. Just remember when doing a direct release the queen in a package is a flying insect and will fly away if you are not careful.

Be patient, keep the feed on them, and give her time. She may be laying in a few days. maybe a week or more. You mentioned the night temps are still in the 30's. What are your day temps? I am no northern beek but I would think you need to take care of chilling your brood if you bust up the brood nest. Again that depends on day temps etc.. Maybe someone more local to you will chime in on the temp issues. It is pushing 90 here so I do mot have that problem

yeah I was thinking there should be a candy plug, but was just a cork plug in one end. So after about three days I released them into the hive. Wasn't sure what else to do. Temps have been in the 30's at night and 50's to low 60's during the day. It's to start warming into the 70's with lows in the 50's this week so should be getting better.

wild-b said:

Hive #3 View attachment 11075 View attachment 11076 View attachment 11077
Is that a queen in the first pic and the what do you see in the others

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Yes

OK! so I know hive 3 has a queen do you see any sign of a queen in the other 2 hives. I'm not sure or confident in what I think I'm seeing.

I see a lot of pollen in #2. Did you give them frames with pollen from the get go or did these bees collect it? Do you have access to any frames of open brood from another local beekeeper? If so I would introduce a frame to hive 1 and 2. The brood frame needs to have larvae that has just hatched. 3 to 4 days old. Shake all bees to their original hive and install brood frame without bees. Ifg in a couple days the bees draw out emergency queen cells then you can decide on a course of action. If possible I would order 2 new mated queens and install them as soon as possible. Or you can let the bees try and raise their own. Or you can do a newspaper combine of the queenless hives to the queenright hive.

Hives 2 and 3 are in the same location and hive 1 is by itself at another location. The brownish colored cells I take it are the ones you are referring to as pollen and I think it has been collected. I found a lot of that on my hands after I closed the hives.

I've been reading some and I'm thinking that I should maybe wait another 4-5 days and then see if I have any noticeable changes. If not then order a couple of queens or will it be to late by then.