Rodney in VA wrote:

> I am not sure but I think that one of my new hives may have swarmed?
> Some Info.
> * New hive this spring (3 pd. package)
> * Not near as many bees as two weeks ago
> * Has two boxes on hive (deep type)
> * When checking this week (Tues.) noticed in top box three queen cells
being
> produced
> * Didn't check bottom box yet
> Any suggestions?
******************
    Check the brood nest for eggs and young larvae to make sure that the
colony has a queen.  Are the queen cells sealed? Are they occupied by
larvae?
     If the hive has no eggs or young larvae, I would place a frame (from
another colony) with eggs and young larvae (but no adult bees) in the center
of the brood nest as insurance. If the queen cells do not produce a queen,
the bees can try again to raise one on the frame with eggs and young larvae.
    A few queen cells on the face of the comb may be evidence that the
colony is trying to raise a new queen for itself. Bees may try to raise a
new queen if they sense that something is wrong with the queen they have.
   Queen cells in a colony preparing to swarm are more likely to be on the
bottom bars of frames, within the sphere of the brood nest.
    Swarming is a sign of a healthy colony. In SE Pennsylvania, a package
installed this year is not likely to swarm this year.
    Bees sometimes start and abandon queen cells.
Tim
--
Tim Sterrett
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(southeastern) Pennsylvania, USA