queen problem?

CallumB · Apr 25, 2020

I started beekeeping a couple years ago when I was gifted a hive and got a bit of help here and there. I now have 2 hives, but one is not performing as it should. I’m pretty sure I need to re Queen it as I think she is on the way out? There is lots of drone brood with a bit of worker brood mixed in. I took some rather poor photos of a couple frames and the queen. I was just wondering if I’m right or if there is something else I’m missing. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! :thanks:

the photos should be linked in with this post.

Bee Boys · Apr 25, 2020

CallumB said:
I started beekeeping a couple years ago when I was gifted a hive and got a bit of help here and there. I now have 2 hives, but one is not performing as it should. I’m pretty sure I need to re Queen it as I think she is on the way out? There is lots of drone brood with a bit of worker brood mixed in. I took some rather poor photos of a couple frames and the queen. I was just wondering if I’m right or if there is something else I’m missing. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

the photos should be linked in with this post.

I think you need to replace her, with a new young queen
I do not like that brood patan and I think she may be falling.
You can get queens from BS Honey bees for about £37, I can recomend them having one of ther carniolan queens which is laying with a very good brood patan.
I may be rong though as I have only been beekeeping for one year.
But I know you will have plenty of advise from more experianced people of this forum.

Gunzo · Apr 25, 2020

CallumB said:
I started beekeeping a couple years ago when I was gifted a hive and got a bit of help here and there. I now have 2 hives, but one is not performing as it should. I’m pretty sure I need to re Queen it as I think she is on the way out? There is lots of drone brood with a bit of worker brood mixed in. I took some rather poor photos of a couple frames and the queen. I was just wondering if I’m right or if there is something else I’m missing. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

the photos should be linked in with this post.

Ye that is a really poor pattern and misfiring drone is not a great sign. I would do a hive tool test on her and raise a new queen from the other hive.

B+. · Apr 25, 2020

CallumB said:
I started beekeeping a couple years ago when I was gifted a hive and got a bit of help here and there. I now have 2 hives, but one is not performing as it should. I’m pretty sure I need to re Queen it as I think she is on the way out? There is lots of drone brood with a bit of worker brood mixed in. I took some rather poor photos of a couple frames and the queen. I was just wondering if I’m right or if there is something else I’m missing. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

the photos should be linked in with this post.

It's a bit difficult to tell in the photos but number 5 looks as if it's got a lot of drone cells...which would encourage the queen to lay a drone there. It might be a good idea to replace that comb with worker base foundation and work old combs towards the outside so you can gradually replace them.
The queen looks ok .... except that she's unmarked. That would make things more difficult for you. For example, I don't suppose you'll have any way of knowing if she's the original queen, or if she's swarmed/been replaced?
It does look as though she's laying an unusually high number of drones though. It may be best to look into getting a replacement for her. The colony isn't doomed, as she's still laying sizeable areas of worker brood so no emergency.

pargyle · Apr 26, 2020

There is some good laying pattern in there .. my queens (albeit I am foundationless) tend more towards about 20% drone brood at this time of year and typically the drone brood is around the edges of the brood area .. which on some frames is what you have. You have to consider at this time of the year (heading rapidly towards the time when colonies will look to reproduce ~ ie: swarm) when drones are needed for mating - basically their main job in life ! So .. I'd expect more drone brood at present.

I'd be inclined to wait a bit and see what goes on before rushing out to buy a new queen. There seems to be a propensity amongst some beekeepers that buying a new queen is the answer to everything ... sometimes buying a bit more patience is the better option. Plenty of time to buy a new queen if she really does start failing - the bees will probably tell you as the odds are you would see supercedure cells.

beeno · Apr 26, 2020

Hi Cullum, You are absolutely right. She is laying drone brood in worker cells. Need replacing by whatever means, so as not to slow down your spring build-up any further.