Last year in three of my five hives (new packages) the queens which
looked healthy when I installed them didn't survive. I ended up with
laying workers. Never had this problem before (have been doing this for
30 years and had never checked for brood after installing the queen). So
am a bit paranoid and am checking this year. In four of my six new hives
after 8 days since the queens were out of their cages one hive has a 5
or 6 inch batch of capped brood (good). It's hard for me to recognize
eggs at the bottom of the cells so am not sure if the other queens are
laying. Don't want to disturb the bees by looking every day. What is the
longest I should wait.
Finding that in spite of mites, pesticides and poor queens it's
sometimes the beekeeper that's the problem (me). Took 60lbs off a hive
two years ago then it starved in the winter. My one overwintered hive
this year clogged up the hive top feeder last week then starved - hive
was packed with bees. That's about a week before things start flowering
here in the Boston Mass area.
Ben Cobb Newton Mass.
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