# Honey Bound Brood and No New Brood Comb



## bibbster (Jun 10, 2016)

*Re: Honey Bound Brood and No New Brood Comb...Now Queenless?*

After a very thorough inspection last night, it seems that there is no longer a queen in the hive. She was released by the workers a week ago today and there is no sign of her. So frustrating to buy a package, have half or more of them die during transit (thank you USPS), and now this. Ugh.


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## Titus_TN (Jun 13, 2016)

*Re: Honey Bound Brood and No New Brood Comb...Now Queenless?*

Next year you might think about driving out to Wolf Creek near Centerville. It's the closest well-known apiary of which I am aware (although you may have a good source closer of which I am not aware). We drove out there instead of getting them mailed, and the bees that died in transit were only a few dozen instead of the hundreds that normally perish in the mail. 

Just a thought.


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## bibbster (Jun 10, 2016)

*Re: Honey Bound Brood and No New Brood Comb...Now Queenless?*

Most definitely! Wish I'd known about that beforehand...but now I know. Thanks!


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## bibbster (Jun 10, 2016)

*Re: Honey Bound Brood and No New Brood Comb...Now Queenless?*

So here is an update now that a week and a half has passed.

While the colony numbers are really low, there is now a queen. I either overlooked her or she was out and about and came back.

At any rate, they are building out comb nicely, though not at a very fast pace. They've started on four bars and all four bars have capped brood. The bar of brood that I put in there from our other hive has hatching workers and it looks like they are polishing it up to make use of it.

Best part...I saw eggs!

I'm not convinced that she is the original queen (she wasn't marked nor was the packaged queen) but she's there nonetheless.


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## typhoontx (May 1, 2013)

*Re: Honey Bound Brood and No New Brood Comb...Now Queenless?*

It probably is still the queen you released back on June 13/14th a new queen would take 28 days +-5 from hatching to laying eggs. Unless there was a extra queen in the package and they fought it out and she won.
Comb build up will be slow due to the small size of the colony , once the brood starts hatching things should start picking up after a few weeks You may have to feed them sugar syrup to help them build out the comb if the nectar isn't coming in.
if you can spare some more capped brood comb from your other hive, pick one that the caps are dark brown or ones you see where some of the brood has started to emerge ( look for caps with holes opening up and still a new bee inside). A strong hive can build out comb astonishingly fast when they want to with food available


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## bibbster (Jun 10, 2016)

*Re: Honey Bound Brood and No New Brood Comb...Now Queenless?*

I can definitely spare more capped brood from the other hive as it is a very nice sized colony. I'll see about adding one tomorrow during my weekly inspection.


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