I was panicking over not finding my Queen several times. I was scared I might had killed her inadvertently. I felt it necessary to find her. Someone on here either shared a similar chart to this or they helped lead me to it.
There’s a reason why it is suggested we go into our hives every 10 to 14 days.
If you’re finding larvae every 14 days, since your last inspection, your queen has laid eggs and they developed into larvae. This makes total sense to me, so I’ve given up on finding my Queen as long as I’m finding eggs and larvae every 14 days.
At Day 9, after a queen has laid an egg, is when capped brood happens.
Understanding all these reasons why it suggested we do things is now making more sense.
Dung roi ! “Correct” ! I really need to add those items to my shopping list ! Maybe one of those little cages with plunger too, pen (white best for me but any color would do even the proper colors). Need a buddy too … (One that sees better than me) … Much easier looking for a blue/white/yellow/green/? Dots than fast moving slim, long, non-fuzzy Queens. I’ve found the one in my “Cedar Hive” twice. Her Magesty is long, golden n moves showers ! Just have to train these crappy eyes better. Up my odds ! @ finding Queen:honeybee:’s.
Thanks for the note n encouragement . I’ll be doing hive inspects again today. This makes #6. I’ll see what kind of challenge they toss my way after lunch !
You make a great couple. Thank you for the photos. Is the big pink flower a Diplodenia? We have a Diplodenia plant with flowers like that, but the leaves are smoother. I have to be careful with it, because if it breaks, it leaks a sticky white sap that makes my skin itch.
Hope you find a way to mark your queens. I have had mostly unmarked queens in the past, but I am loving having them marked for the last year or so.
Why the need to find the queen? Unless you need to pinch her and you find evidence of her why go looking? The more digging around you do in the brood area the more likely you are to hurt her.
I am an urban beekeeper. My neighbors are VERY close to my hive. If my hive gets feisty, I need to know whether she has been superseded (and the new queen has mated with a high-spirited africanized type drone! ) , without doing a lengthy inspection and upsetting the neighbors. So the mark helps a lot. I can usually find her in less than 5 mins, and my neighbors appreciate this.
About 70% of the feral hives in my county are “africanized” to some extent, according to a local full-time beekeeper, breeder, live removal guy. So the risks to my hive are not insignificant. If the old queen absconds or dies, I need to be able to pin-point the problem fast.
… Much easier looking for a blue/white/yellow/green/? Dots than fast moving slim, long, non-fuzzy Queens. I’ve found the one in my “Cedar Hive” twice. Her Magesty is long, golden n moves showers ! Just have to train these crappy eyes better. Up my odds ! 
@ finding Queen:honeybee:’s.
) , without doing a lengthy inspection and upsetting the neighbors. So the mark helps a lot. I can usually find her in less than 5 mins, and my neighbors appreciate this. 