Just looked at the bees that I put in a 5 frame hive on july 17. I have been feeding 1/1 sugar water about 1 quart per day. There are 3 frames about 3/4ths covered with comb and about half of that filled with sugar honey. There was what looked like only a couple dozen capped brood cells and the rest looked empty to me. I thought I saw the queen but it was kind of thin could it be a drone? Should there be more eggs or larva ? this is my first time trying to keep bees. Also I have a deep box on top. (Two 5 frame deeps). nothing going on in the upper box should I take it off. ANY ADVISE WOULD BE APPRICIATED THANK YOU.
swarm caught 7-20-19
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it's possible that the small swarm you caught 3 weeks ago came from a colony that was superseding a failing queen. this is common for small swarms that issue late in the season.
if all you have is a few capped worker cells a failing queen may have been able to lay those few before she crapped out. such a colony will usually attempt to make a new queen, and if they did that queen would have emerged about a week ago.
if there is a new queen and if she gets mated you might be seeing new eggs in another week or so.
if the brood cappings are raised up then you have drone eggs laid in worker cells. these could be laid by a failed queen or laying workers.
if all you have is a few capped worker cells a failing queen may have been able to lay those few before she crapped out. such a colony will usually attempt to make a new queen, and if they did that queen would have emerged about a week ago.
if there is a new queen and if she gets mated you might be seeing new eggs in another week or so.
if the brood cappings are raised up then you have drone eggs laid in worker cells. these could be laid by a failed queen or laying workers.
Bummer. Is it possible you missed the queen when you caught the swarm? Your posts do not indicate how you caught them, shake in from a branch, caught in a bait hive, or? Strange that you ended up with a few capped cells of brood and now nothing. There may have been something about the hive or the location the bees did not like and they absconded. Try to post a picture of the set up and a few of the drawn frames.
I didn't see any beetles yesterday. do you think I missed them or can they move in that fast
I shook them into into a box then put them into a 5 frame nuc box.I have taken the frames out and put them in the freezer.The bees that were outside the box went in so I think I got the queen. I have no experience except what have read and very little advise from friends.
hard to say for sure, but my first guess would be the swarm left the parent hive with a failing queen, she crapped out quickly, and the swarm went back home.
my second guess would be the swarm superceded their queen right off the bat, and then absconded for some reason once the new queen could fly.
don't give up papa. swarming starts early on the coast, like early march or so.
I am not going to give up.more determined now than ever.gonna get more bees for sure. Thanks again for the replies
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