What to do?

[KONASDAD]

In a recent post, I had a hive that was making queen cells galore. I found a queen on the grass which was wing injured. She had a few nurse bees w/ her. I dispatched her. Later that day I found a queen flying in my house. Open released her to hive w/ no visible problems. This week, I inspected. I found lost of capped brood, no eggs and more queen cells in supercedure postions. One which had clearly hatched and another which was right next to it but unopened. Sooo much honey everywhere. Crazy comb averywhere. Brace comb like I've never seen before. They may be honey bound by all of the bizare brace comb and all. The hive is the most diosrganized hive I've seen in my limited experience. I dont know if i have a queen or not. I am contemplating giving frames of eggs from another hive later this week if i cant find any eggs after the rain passes. Is this the right course of action?

[MrILoveTheAnts]

A queen bee in your house and the bees aren't going near her. Sounds like they casted her out of the hive. Isn't there a way to tell the age of the queen, hairs or how shiny her abdomen is or something like that? I'd say get the one in your house out. If she was just confused on her mating flight she'd fly back to the hive. If not then the other queen cell should hatch into another queen, I'd say keep an eye on that cell and look for eggs. If you can't find anything after this stormy weather we're having then give them a frame of eggs form another hive or order a new queen.

I'm also having an issue with lots of Brace comb (bur comb?) all over the place. Should I just remove it and tell the bees NO or let it be? It's mostly in the bottom box.

[Kathyp]

can't help you with the queen question, except to say watch and see.  doesn't sound like a hive that's a good candidate for re-queening right this moment.

about the comb.  while i was driving about NJ in a perpetual state of "lost", my beloved husband did some frames of starter strips and put them in my hives.  he did not attach them with wax, which would not have been so bad, but he didn't get the wedge piece in tight.  when i got around to looking to the bottom of the hive, several strips had come loose and i had a bit of a mess. 

i cut out the bad parts but left the frames in.  within a week, they had drawn comb and straightened things out. they used the frames that no longer had foundation and drew out some beautiful comb.   i don't care much about burr comb unless it's in the way.  i do care that the brood comb is ok....with a little re-direction, they seemed to get the point.

won't hurt to give frame of brood.  do they have enough room??

[KONASDAD]

the queen I found in the house I put into hive. As for enough room, yes. I can switch around some frames to make room. I also have this hive, which is huge, draw out a complete deep in anticipation of making nucs. I'll just use some of these frames and cull some old frames to make room is all. I am still culling frames from my hives that come from commercial beek and I want to avoid old chemicals if they exist . Interestingly, I used checkmite(coumaphos) this fall(never again) Perhaps this is adding to my queen failure?