Tom,
     I'm new to this hobby as well, and hope my input helps you out.
 
 Since your hives are new, you probably have light colored comb, and
spotting the white eggs against this background is tricky.  Things that
helped me out.
 
Keep the sun to your back, and try to have it shining into the cells at
almost a right angle.  To help spott the first egg, I tilt the frame a
little so about 1/3 of the cell bottom is in shadow, other 2/3 illuminated.
Then look into the cell at about the same angle.  Since the queen lays the
egg in the center bottom of the cell, and it is standing on end, this helps
to make the egg 'appear' larger since your not looking at it 'on end'.
 
It also helps if you can keep as many bees on the opposite side of the
frame as possible to provide a darker background.  With the dark
background, they stand out really well.
 
Try and find Larvae, Keep looking outward as the larvae get smaller (Or
until you see cells with a small amount of liquid in the bottom - the
really young larvae swim in their food).  The empty or dry cells near the
very young larvae should have the eggs in them.
 
I have read in the books that the larvae can dry out fairly rapidly, so
expose the frames to direct sun during hot weather for too long...  Can any
of you 'experienced' folks out there lend a hand as to how long is too long
to expose a frame?
 
Rod Billett
Lexington, SC  USA