# I'm worried, please help



## farmnewbie (Apr 18, 2014)

I did an inspection and posted a week ago and it was scared I was queen less in one of my hives. Well today I just opened up my hives again and I started with the hive I was afraid was queen less and I am almost positive it is queen less, however I did see a possible queen, just no eggs or young larva. Just lots of honey and some capped brood. I am not sure what to do at this point. Then I got to hive 2 and had to stop early cause my 1 yr old woke up from nap and so I only had pulled frames from half the top box and again, I saw no young larva or eggs. Just lots of honey and some capped brood. I am not making the conclusion that that queen is gone yet cause I didn't even get to the bottom box yet, I will give them a couple days to calm down and then re-open that hive. Yesterday when I went to go peek at the hives just from the outside there was a TON of bees flying around the front of that hive (the one I didn't finish the inspection on) I've never seen anything like that before since I've had them. I was thinking maybe an orientation flight of the new bees? Or did they swarm? Do bees typically swarm if the hive goes queen less for too long or do they make a new queen? I am just at a loss on what to do. Do I try to find a new queen for my hive I feel is queen less? I will post a pic of the bee I thought could be the queen, my pic isn't great. It's in the corner and just her bum is sticking out a bit. Now I'm not so sure it was even her.


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## farmnewbie (Apr 18, 2014)

Also I put on honey supers at the last inspection last week and I put on a queen excluder....I left that off today. The comb had not been started getting drawn out on the 1st hive and just barely started on the 2nd hive.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Slow down and take a deep breath, relax a little bit.
First thing you need to take the time to do a full complete inspection. Look for that tiny little white dot (egg) in the bottom of the cell Look for a tiny little c ( hatched egg) in a milky white bath at the bottom of the cell. Once you find either you can stop the inspection and panic attack. Eggs in a nice pattern says you have a queen laying. The fresh hatched larva says you had a queen 3 days ago.

 Al


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## farmnewbie (Apr 18, 2014)

Ok. I'm not completely panicking but the 1st hive I did a full complete inspection and saw none of that. No eggs, no larva, no cloudy white liquid. Just shiny clear liquid, some capped brood and capped honey. 
2nd hive is the one I didn't complete and plan to do that possibly today.


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## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

That looks like a queens abdomen to me. It is possible that she is a new queen and has not yet begun laying. I'd give her another week and see what happens. 

I have found that it takes a while for my beginners to focus at the proper depth to spot eggs and young larvae. Lots of times once they finally see them the response is....now why didn't I see that before! Keep in mind that you have to look at the bottom of the cell. There is so much activity on the top surface of the cells that it is often difficult to ignore that and look into the bottom. Take a magnifying glass with you next time you do an inspection.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

It helps to move the frame around a bit to change the lighting also.

 Al


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## farmnewbie (Apr 18, 2014)

Yeah. I moved the frame all over the place to get the sun to shine in the bottom of the cells. The cells are also not white. They are a darker comb so it should be easier for me to see the eggs. I know I've seen the tiny larva before at other inspections and I've seen the big larva for sure before but this time I just am not seeing anything. I will wait and see what next inspection shows me and I will pick up a magnifying glass too to bring out there with me. Who knows. Maybe I accidentally killed their queen and they made another one and your right and she hasn't started laying yet. Who knows. I guess that's what the first year is all about though.....learn learn learn. I'm not planning or even hoping (well I guess a little hope) to get any honey this year. I just want to keep them all alive and well and make it through the winter! That's my first goal.


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## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

Yes that looks like a queen to me.


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## rambotex (May 5, 2014)

bump?


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## farmnewbie (Apr 18, 2014)

Had a local beekeeper over today to go through my hives with me and everything looks great!!! One hive is booming and I will most likely be harvesting my first honey out of that hive next week  the other hive is a slower grower, so no honey super on that one. But queen is there and laying nicely so we will just leave that hive alone and let them do their thing. I am so relieved!!  
I was worried for nothing.


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