Disease?

Well, I did my first proper inspection yesterday - the first after the Queen had been allowed to leave the hive 2 weeks earlier. I opened the hive on the look-out for results from an active Queen:-

• the minute rice-grain-size eggs that would indicate she had been active laying within the last 3 days,


• fat white larvae curled in their uncapped cells, signs of slightly older brood,


• capped brood, soon to emerge as new bees, and


• honey stores.
  
  

I wanted to see how many frames the bees had covered. Things that I wondered about ...

• Should I be taking the mouseguard off the front entrance to the hive, to allow more bees freer access into and out of the hive?


• Do I really need to add a super for brood, to create a "brood-and-a-half", before finally adding a second super if I'm lucky, to finally achieve some honey crop?
  
  

What I did in fact do, just before going into the hive, was to dredge up all the documentation on diseases, to read through, to check the identification photos. Dunno what made me do that, but when I finally did get into the hive, these are the not-so-good signs I saw everywhere on the frames:

I also noticed one or two small pieces of brace comb. For some reason I didn't cut it away, merely put the frames all back in place. One thing I did notice however, was a perfect Queen cell being made. I cut it away before putting the frame back in place. I also saw two drones on the frames. No sign of the Queen ...

Before I closed up on the hive again, I popped a super frame in the end of the brood box. I should really put a 12th frame or a dummy frame in place so the brood box is properly filled with frames. I should've gone to the Bee Hut today to buy frames to do this, but didn't get around to it. I kind of feel despondent about the signs of disease in the hive. In my heart, I do wonder - if I had to destroy this colony, could I ever start the whole process again? Would i have the heart to?

There were so many signs though, of healthy brood also, I just don't know what to make of it. All I can admit is that I am so new at this, I could be completely over-reacting and I need help. So I have emailed my photos to members of my Association, and asked for their advice.

If it's worst case scenario, it's foulbrood of some kind. I would have to report the disease to The Bee Unit, and my regional Bee Inspector would have to come and check it out, and if confirmed, we would have to kill the bees, burn the frames and scorch the hive.

As you can imagine, I'm hoping it's just over-reaction.

Wish us luck - we'll keep you posted.

Amended to add a photo of the beautiful Supercedure Queen cell that I unfortunately, in my ignorance, destroyed :(