Pile of dead drones in front of hive

[Gypsi]

Just a few workers. I failed to feed as the bees seemed to be bringing in wildflower nectar. Guessing the queen in the hot hive shut down and stopped laying and the workers threw the drones out. This is NOT all bad.  it is the hot hive. Queen on the way for Saturday May 3rd I think, not sure if I should go in and kill the old queen tomorrow or not

[Jen]

Hi Gypsi, I just ordered and recieved 3 queens. Instructions said to NOT kill the old queen until you get the new queen in your hands. That's because if you kill the queen now, the bees will be making new queen cells that will hatch in three days. So if your queens delivery is delayed and you introduce her there is going to be fighting queens. Leave as is until you have your queen at your house.

Good Luck

[tecumseh]

I would wait until I had queens in hand.  HOWEVER queens will not make in 3 days no matter where you live..... California may be special but it is not that special.  queen cells generally only require perhaps one day to show up and after two days are noticeable and after 3 days are difficult to not notice.   the start of a queen cell (even at the most immature level) can mean the bees in the box will have no interest in the new mated queen in her introduction cage.

[Beeboy]

I would wait until I had queens in hand.  HOWEVER queens will not make in 3 days no matter where you live..... California may be special but it is not that special.  queen cells generally only require perhaps one day to show up and after two days are noticeable and after 3 days are difficult to not notice.   the start of a queen cell (even at the most immature level) can mean the bees in the box will have no interest in the new mated queen in her introduction cage.

  I was thinking the same thing!

[Gypsi]

Thanks everyone.  I fed the poor neglected bees this morning. for a couple of months they took almost no syrup, I had a box covering the jar and didn't know they were out, each hive sucked down a quart in 2 days so they got another quart.