So, I load the smoker with some mite-repelling herbs and head out to check the Prairieland hive (Beatrice) on Sunday.

Silly bees are getting a little creative with their comb building. Including building comb between the upper and lower supers.

I find they have done almost no comb building in the last three weeks!! What's up with that, girls???

But I did find these crazy cells... Which looked to me to be too big to be drone cells....

And no baby bees, or bee larvae! Not good!

After consulting with some experts... Seems our queen died or swarmed, and the hive made another! There are six or seven small queen cells, all opened. So hopefully one of them is alive and well and starting to do her queen thing...

I will continue to check the hive very frequently, looking for signs that the new bee is alive and well.