Did my honey bees come out of winter alive?

Spring has come to the northern parts of the United States early lately. We had many 60s and even a couple of 70s days in March this year. My bees have been flying and brought back pollen since late February. I inspected my hives this past weekend when the temperature was near 70F. As usual, I expected all of my colonies to have survived the harsh winter in the northern U.S. But have they? Are the queens laying? Let's find out!

Hive 1. Very strong colony. Queen spotted.

Hive 2. Very strong colony. Queen spotted.

Hive 3. Very strong colony. Could not find the queen, but eggs and young larvae were spotted. The queen should be alive. She is just being shy.

Hive 4. Strong colony. Queen spotted.

Hive 5. Strong colony. Queen spotted.

Hive 6. The sound of this colony seemed a little fishy when I popped open the lid. Queenless roar? No egg, no open brood, no capped brood. A careful inspection found no queen on the frames.  The colony apparently overwintered, but the queen may have been lost. Took apart the slatted rack and the bottom board. Lots of bees, but no sign of queen. There were a few drones here and there. Workers have not started laying eggs yet, so the queen probably died about 3 weeks ago. The workers will be combined with another colony.

Hive 7. Very strong colony. Queen found!

All of the colonies overwintered technically, although one queen died before spring. A little disappointed, but things do happen in beekeeping. All the remaining colonies are doing well.

No sign of any disease at the entrances. Solid brood patterns. Bees are bringing in tons of pollen. Bee population will explode in a few weeks. Another bountiful year of honey production is anticipated. Finger crossed!
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【博文自荐】
雄蜜蜂为什么没有爹？
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