The first thing that I would do is to keep plenty of sugar syrup
available for at least a month or until they have at two or more full
frames (capped) in store. Sugar syrup is a way of speeding up the drawing
of comb.
 
Unless further inspection proves different, they need the protein in the
pollen to feed the young larvae. To me this is a good sign that the queen
is laying. I would give them a week before I open them again. It
sometimes takes two days or more for them to settle down after an
inspection.
 
Keep me posted,
 
Bob Neely
Goose Creek, SC
USA
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On Sat, 3 May 1997 16:20:28 -0600 aarcher <[log in to unmask]> writes:
>My newly installed TBH colony (this is day 11) has had a rough start,
>and I
>need to get an opinion or two.  On the 7th day, I opened the hive to
>find
>that the queen cage had fallen to the floor of the hive in such a way
>as to
>block her escape.  The entire screened in portion of the cage where
>she is
>attended to, was also face down.  She was alive and very ready to get
>out
>of her "cell".  When I released her,  she immediately ran into the
>dark and
>disappeared into the area where the bees were currently drawing combs.
> The
>particular queen cage had small slits in the side and I can only
>assume she
>was able to get food in some manner using one of them.
>
>I need to go back a couple of days prior to the first (1st week)
>inspection.  My other hive which was installed (also from a package)
>the
>same day and which was installed on foundation in a Lang,  had for
>several
>days been bringing in copious quantities of willow pollen.  (I don't
>know
>how this area will be for nectar, but there are a couple of miles of
>river
>below with acres of willow, cottonwood, and alder all of which I have
>been
>told are excellent pollen producers).
>
>The activity at the TBH was altogether different.  There was
>considerable
>bee activity at both hives, but in the TBH where the queen was unable
>to
>get out and lay eggs, it seemed almost chaotic around the hive.   At
>first
>I suspected robbing but after many hours (of absolutely fascinating
>beeginner beekeeper observation time), in which time I could not find
>any
>actual evidence of such criminal activity, finally decided that it had
>to
>be something else.
>
>On about Day 5, it appeared that the TBH colony seemed to be made of
>about
>1/3 drones.  There were drones everywhere.  After watching quite a
>while,
>it seemed that the drones were being escorted / forced from the hive
>by
>armed guards.
>
>Today,  on Day 11, which is 4 days from manually having released the
>lady
>in question,  the TBH workers are also bringing in tremendous
>quantities of
>pollen.  In fact they have been noticeably active in pollen gathering
>since
>yesterday....
>
>Here's the rub.   In addition to still acting somewhat frazzled and
>somewhat disorganized, there still seems to be that very high ratio of
>drones to workers at this hive when compared with the other hive.  The
>drones are still getting "the boot" from workers at the hive entrance.
>Could you explain what I'm dealing with?  What could be the result
>(other
>than a setback in time) of a very long confinement by the queen.
>
>I'm itching to get into the hive and take a peek, but am trying to
>avoid
>upsetting what must be a disturbed group.
>
>What would you do?
>