Missing Queen

[agc]

I installed two packages on 4/11/15. I am new at this but even I could tell from the very beginning the activity in hive #1 was far less than the in hive #2. I checked the hives on 4/18. Both queens cages were empty.

I could not find the queen in hive #1 on Sat. I did find the queen in hive #2 on Sat.

So tonight I went into hive #1 again to look for the queen. I find bees on on the pre-drawn frame and the inside side of the next two frames. I see nectar in that one frame on both sides and a little bit of new drawn comb on two frames with nectar. I do not find any evidence the queen has laid any eggs and I could not find the queen.

So... I am guessing she didn't make it. Should I try and find another queen to requeen the hive? Other suggestions?

If anyone wants to come take a look I would appreciate it. I live between Kernersville and Oak Ridge. I can meet someone during the day or evening.

Pictures attached of hive #1 and #2.

[Bsummitkeeper]

If you see no eggs or larva at this point you probably have an issue.

If it were me I'd either buy a queen or grab a frame with eggs, larva and capped brood from the other hive and put it in so they can make a queen.

[Jacobs]

I cannot make it today. I'm going to send you a pm with Stadiem's phone number. Give him a call and see if he can get there this afternoon. If I didn't see eggs, I would probably opt for buying a new queen and introducing her. Looks like a lot of the bees may have drifted from the "queenless" hive to the queen right hive.

[agc]

Update:
At the suggestion of Rob, I spoke with Mark Stadiem today and talked about the situation of the weak hive. He and I both agreed requeening was the best course of action. I called George Page. His shop is just a round the corner.

He had a queen for me $20. I brought her home to install. I got everything ready and decided to really look over the frames again to make sure the first queen was gone.

To my surprise, I found the original queen. She no longer had her mark. I looked hard at the open cells and found some eggs. So she is still there and laying. Those eggs are VERY SMALL.

George took the new queen back.

I think the lesson learned here is 1) dont install two packages side-by-side at the same time. Drifting is a big problem in this case and 2) look hard and long for the queen and the eggs. It took her 12 days to start laying.

Thanks for the help everyone.

[Wally]

Now go out in the middle of the day and switch places with the hives. The returning foragers will return to the same place they have been, thus equalizing the hives again.

[herbcoop]

Now go out in the middle of the day and switch places with the hives. The returning foragers will return to the same place they have been, thus equalizing the hives again.

I think I'll do that when I get home this afternoon, mine looks like they drifted as well from the 2 packages I got 2 weeks ago

[agc]

Went in to hive #2 tonight, the stronger hive, and found 10-12 queen cells on two sides of one frame. There is no capped brood in any these frames or any eggs or larva. It's full of nectar. These bees are drawing out comb on eight of the ten frames. I saw the queen in this hive on 4-18 but didn't find here tonight.

Does this mean they are getting ready to swarm or are they planning to replace the queen?

[Jacobs]

It sounds like they are in the process of replacing the queen. It is not uncommon with package bees these days. I have seen one other this season like that, but fewer than in the last couple of years. Swarm cells are usually located at the bottom of the frame or along the bottom area of the comb if the frame is not completely drawn out. Supersedure/emergency cells are usually within the body of the comb.

[agc]

Here's a photo of the queen cells.

[Wally]

They are replacing the queen. Are these your only two hives? If you had a strong established hive, you could remove her and start a nuc. Otherwise, I would just let nature take it's course.

[agc]

Update on these two hives.

The weak hive is just getting weaker and I see no evidence of egg laying. So.... With so few bees, would adding a new queen be worth it or is this one done? Can I add a nuc to this one at this stage of the game?

The queen cells in the stronger hive are either opened on the bottom or gone all together. There are a ton of drone cell in this hive and no other brood. There are lots of bees with a little bit of capped honey on the frames and lots of uncapped nectar. I see drone larva in the cells. So I would assume there are worker bees laying eggs.

I can only conclude that both queens from both these packages have failed.

Any thoughts from the experts?

[Jacobs]

If the weather permits tomorrow (Sunday), I suggest we have a look in your hives and try and come up with a plan. Give me a call-336 740-1703.

[agc]

I got busy on Sat with the bees and Sun with Mother's day so I am just now posting this update.

Here's what we did for the two hives on Sat.

We checked the weaker hive for signs of a queen. Having found no signs of eggs or larva and not finding a queen, we introduced a new queen for that hive. Hopefully there are enough bees in there to tend to the queen to get that hive up and going.

Having decided that the strong hive for sure had a laying worker bee, having only drone capped drone cells and no normal brood, we took the drastic measure of taking the hive a few hundred feet away from where it normally is and dumping the bees out. We brushed all the bees from all of the frames, box, and bottom board. Then we setup the hive again in it's original location and introduced a new queen. I destroyed as many capped drone cells as possible and put those same frames back in the hives. A large portion of the bees had already made it back to the home site before I had the hive set back up but I am confident a good portion of them made back into the hive. Some of them went into the weaker hive too which may help sustain that one.

Yesterday there was activity from both hives with bees coming and going. Fingers crossed! It's been quite an experience.

-gray