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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