Colony overwintered but no new brood.

[Graymich]

I am a 1st year beekeeper. I started with 1 colony summer 2021 and went into winter with that original colony plus a split and a cast swarm. Although all 3 hives had high varroa levels going into winter a number of O/A vapes sorted it. All three hives have made it through winter.
It was my first full inspection today having previously checked on fondant and peeking through perspex crown board earlier this year. The split and the cast swarm are both doing great, however the original colony has no brood other than a few drone cells. They still have lots of stores on about half of most frames and lots of pollen on most frames too . There are a couple of frames that are mostly empty comb. The queen is still in there and she looks fine scurrying around with other bees in close attendance. She was a virgin queen raised in the first hive when the original queen swarmed. There are still a lot bees in the hive but I could tell from the activity outside the hive that there were not as many as other 2 hives. so I was expecting to find a problem. They are all WBC 14x12.
Any comments as to what may have happened and advise going forward would be much appreciated .

 

[Bazzer]

I am a 1st year beekeeper. I started with 1 colony summer 2021 and went into winter with that original colony plus a split and a cast swarm. Although all 3 hives had high varroa levels going into winter a number of O/A vapes sorted it. All three hives have made it through winter.
It was my first full inspection today having previously checked on fondant and peeking through perspex crown board earlier this year. The split and the cast swarm are both doing great, however the original colony has no brood other than a few drone cells. They still have lots of stores on about half of most frames and lots of pollen on most frames too . There are a couple of frames that are mostly empty comb. The queen is still in there and she looks fine scurrying around with other bees in close attendance. She was a virgin queen raised in the first hive when the original queen swarmed. There are still a lot bees in the hive but I could tell from the activity outside the hive that there were not as many as other 2 hives. so I was expecting to find a problem. They are all WBC 14x12.
Any comments as to what may have happened and advise going forward would be much appreciated .

The queen needs nurse bees to look after her and sometimes if she has not laid much overwinter there may not be enough around. I would take a frame from of mainly capped brood from one of your other colonies and add it in and then give them a light syrup feed. If the queen is a dud they may start building supercedure queen cells if you also have some eggs on the frame

 

[Graymich]

thanks - I can transfer a frame from one of my other hives - she was doing so well last year - it was my biggest colony on all 10 14x12 frames. and 1x 10 frame super of honey in their first year.

 

[jrmace1]

I am a 1st year beekeeper. I started with 1 colony summer 2021 and went into winter with that original colony plus a split and a cast swarm. Although all 3 hives had high varroa levels going into winter a number of O/A vapes sorted it. All three hives have made it through winter.
It was my first full inspection today having previously checked on fondant and peeking through perspex crown board earlier this year. The split and the cast swarm are both doing great, however the original colony has no brood other than a few drone cells. They still have lots of stores on about half of most frames and lots of pollen on most frames too . There are a couple of frames that are mostly empty comb. The queen is still in there and she looks fine scurrying around with other bees in close attendance. She was a virgin queen raised in the first hive when the original queen swarmed. There are still a lot bees in the hive but I could tell from the activity outside the hive that there were not as many as other 2 hives. so I was expecting to find a problem. They are all WBC 14x12.
Any comments as to what may have happened and advise going forward would be much appreciated .

 

[jrmace1]

Some queen's are late starters but most start laying in February. Your queen could be new late last year when drones failed to do their duty! I suggest you remove from your best laying hive, one frame that has freshly laid eggs ( may need a magnifying glass to spot them at the base of cells) and exchange it into the brood less hive. Close it up for a few days then check if they have produced a queen cell with an introduced eggs. Do this asap before a worker starts laying eggs which will only produce drones and your colony will die out.
If no queen cell or sealed brood from a late starting queen, introduce another frame of eggs from your best hive / or if there is a queen cell in another hive, introduce the frame ( but check the existing queen is not on the frame or the new hive will kill it) into the queen less hive but take great care not to tip it or damage it. The queen less bees will hatch it out.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Don't need to wait ten days, you'll know within a few days if they produce a supersedure cell, although with a queen present the odds are against them trying.

 

[Graymich]

Don't need to wait ten days, you'll know within a few days if they produce a supersedure cell, although with a queen present the odds are against them trying.

I have now transferred a frame of brood with eggs - do you think I need to kill the queen as well if her presence is most likely to prevent supersedure cells being created.

 

[Erichalfbee]

If you kill the queen you will get emergency cells

 

[jrmace1]

I have now transferred a frame of brood with eggs - do you think I need to kill the queen as well if her presence is most likely to prevent supersedure cells being created.

No leave the queen alive. If she is fertilised, the workers will seal the brood and the queen wil start laying. If she is useless the workers will produce a queen cell and the existing queen will be superseded. If no further brood is produced then introduce another frame of eggs in about 10 days time.

 

[elainemary]

I am a 1st year beekeeper. I started with 1 colony summer 2021 and went into winter with that original colony plus a split and a cast swarm. Although all 3 hives had high varroa levels going into winter a number of O/A vapes sorted it. All three hives have made it through winter.
It was my first full inspection today having previously checked on fondant and peeking through perspex crown board earlier this year. The split and the cast swarm are both doing great, however the original colony has no brood other than a few drone cells. They still have lots of stores on about half of most frames and lots of pollen on most frames too . There are a couple of frames that are mostly empty comb. The queen is still in there and she looks fine scurrying around with other bees in close attendance. She was a virgin queen raised in the first hive when the original queen swarmed. There are still a lot bees in the hive but I could tell from the activity outside the hive that there were not as many as other 2 hives. so I was expecting to find a problem. They are all WBC 14x12.
Any comments as to what may have happened and advise going forward would be much appreciated .

Personally, I would pinch this queen and unite with one of your other good colonies:
As a queen is there and has a retinue a supersedure cell is not a certainty
The bees that are there are less populous than your other colonies from what you’ve said. If the queen never / poorly mated (given the drone brood) the bees in attendance will be v old and not ideal for raising a good queen cell. You need lots of young nurse bees to do a good job of raising very well fed queen cells. If you pinch the queen and let this colony raise emergency cells I’d be worried if they are good enough to make a nice new very well fed queen

I’d pinch the Q, unite to one of your good colonies and then split once there are lots of mature flying drones if you want to get back to 3 colonies

 

[oliver90owner]

First question from me would be ‘Where are you located?’

We don’t know enough details to be sure of what is happening.

Somehow I doubt she is a late starter - but it could be - so a location of the colonies and there specific orientation/shade/etc could be relevant.

Have you tested for nosema? That is a likely cause for a now non-laying queen. The drone cells could be a problem, but are likely from a long time ago?

Uniting is likely the best bet after squishing the queen - but more info needed to be sure.

 

[thorn]

You have them in a 14x12. Could you perhaps have given them too much space for them to keep warm enough for the Queen to lay? Dummy them down or, if they really are thin on the ground, transfer them to a nuc.

 

[Graymich]

First question from me would be ‘Where are you located?’

We don’t know enough details to be sure of what is happening.

Somehow I doubt she is a late starter - but it could be - so a location of the colonies and there specific orientation/shade/etc could be relevant.

Have you tested for nosema? That is a likely cause for a now non-laying queen. The drone cells could be a problem, but are likely from a long time ago?

Uniting is likely the best bet after squishing the queen - but more info needed to be sure.

I am in Hampshire
The colonies are in my garden - backing on to woodland so protected from wind. Facing east. in WBC hive with OMF . 100mm insulation under roof. Nice and dry inside. They covered most of the frames going into winter - the outside frames and tops of all frames were capped honey. They also consumed 2 1/2 kg of fondant over winter. No nosema and no varroa just dry empty cells with capped honey surround - probably still 5000 bees in there.

 

[Graymich]

Should have also mentioned that a lot of the frames have a large amount of pollen - I thought at one time that she may not have any space to lay - but there is some space

 

[Wilco]

Give some weak syrup and see if that kick starts anything. However you may need to tranfuse some young bees from another colony.

 

[madasafish]

I am in Hampshire
The colonies are in my garden - backing on to woodland so protected from wind. Facing east. in WBC hive with OMF . 100mm insulation under roof. Nice and dry inside. They covered most of the frames going into winter - the outside frames and tops of all frames were capped honey. They also consumed 2 1/2 kg of fondant over winter. No nosema and no varroa just dry empty cells with capped honey surround - probably still 5000 bees in there.

5000 bees should be in a nuc ,Not in a large hive.

 

[oliver90owner]

‘No nosema”

How did you test?

 

[madasafish]

"No varroa" should read: "no visible varroa".

I feed colonies like this with thymolised syrup to prevent mould in the syrup.

 

[Graymich]

‘No nosema”

How did you test?

Not tested for nosema under a microscope, however no signs of dead bees, excreta or greasy looking bees or trembling bees - so I was thinking its unlikely but not impossible.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Not tested for nosema under a microscope, however no signs of dead bees, excreta or greasy looking bees or trembling bees - so I was thinking its unlikely but not impossible.

ypu're confusing two ailments there I think - Nosema and CBPV
And there are two different strains of each, but as far as Nosema goes - Nosema Ceranae doesn't show any physical symptoms such as dysentery