25 days from doing AS and not sure...

Beekeeping & Apiculture Forum

Help Support Beekeeping & Apiculture Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

RogerJ

New Bee
Joined
Mar 3, 2015
Messages
68
Reaction score
5
Location
Herefordshire
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
5
I did a Pagden AS 25 days ago and I'm not sure if I need to be concerned:

On an inspection today the Q+ hive has some sealed brood (can't see queen - haven't seen her since the AS) but no larvae - also can't see any eggs but did see one small cluster a week ago; did see some bees emerging. Theer are alos no queen cells that I could see. So presumably there has been some activity since the AS. Bees in general are very active haven't drawn out all the new brood box frames yet but some do have nectar and pollen; also very busy in the supers with two quite full (not all capped). So my question is - is it just a case of the queen taking its time to get back to full
activity or is there something else going on?

The Q- hive has no brood as yet (all original brood hatched and presumably a bit too early for a new queen to mate etc); however all of the brood frames are full of stores so where would the queen lay? Assuming a queen has emerged and mates will the bees sort this out or do I need to do something?

Thanks.
 
Hi Roger,
Q+ it could be the weather? Mine are back laying brood on 12 frames for my strong colonies after the terrible weather we have had down south. However, if there is no eggs or larvae at this stage I would have guessed she has swarmed especially since you cannot find her. However, she will not have swarmed without leaving a QC behind.
Q- as Jenkins put super on.
 
Thanks both - I've put a super on the Q- hive so fingers crossed.
The weather has been good here for the last couple of weeks so I would not have thought that was the problem with the Q+. I couldn't see any QCs - but I suppose it is possible I missed one.
What is the best approach - check again in a few days or just be patient?
 
I inspected 3 days after doing the AS and then every 7 days since. I haven't seen the queen since doing the AS.
I couldn't see the queen to begin when I did the AS and hence had to do the alternative of dumping all the bees into the new brood box and letting the nurse bees navigate back up to the old brood. However part way though doing the "dump" I was fairly sure I did see the queen. "Something" has laid since then as there is sealed brood on frames that didn't have any before. There were some QCs at the first inspection so destroyed those.
 
There were some QCs at the first inspection so destroyed those.

There's your answer I think - she probably went just before the inspection when you found QC's - they'd have gone regardless of whether the cells were sealed or not - but were they?
I may be wrong but I have a sneaking suspicion that you have a hopelessly queen less hive there
 
Last edited:
I inspected 3 days after doing the AS and then every 7 days since. I haven't seen the queen since doing the AS.
I couldn't see the queen to begin when I did the AS and hence had to do the alternative of dumping all the bees into the new brood box and letting the nurse bees navigate back up to the old brood. However part way though doing the "dump" I was fairly sure I did see the queen. "Something" has laid since then as there is sealed brood on frames that didn't have any before. There were some QCs at the first inspection so destroyed those.

I know it's too late now but next time you AS and can't find the queen then do Wally shaw's modified Snelgrove. That way you don't have to find the queen till 9 days later and in a depleted box.
As far as a test frame goes....I'm sure there must be a beekeeper that can let you have a piece of comb with eggs and young larvae on it....you don't need a whole frame.

BTW have you spotted an emerged QC in the parent hive?
 
As an aside I have successfully done a test with a couple of grafts. That is all it takes. Two or probably just the one grub.

PH
 
Didn't we sticky a post in the beginner's section about this issue and similar? Can't see it.


OP, it's getting late in terms of harvest for being hopelessly Q-, if that's what a test frame shows. By now someone in your BKA may well have extra Qs or at least ripe QCs.
 
Thanks for all the comments. I am not a member of an association and have no contacts who can donate any eggs etc. - so it rules that out.

If the Q- hive does the business OK would there still be time to move take a frame from that or do I just unite the two together?

Or could I purchase and introduce a new queen which potentially may be the quickest (if it really is queenless)?
 
Last edited:
You have contacts on here so why not ask if there is someone near you in a new thread. I would join your association as you get insurance if nothing else and it doesn't cost much. You also get a list of people in the association and there are probably people who live very near you. I'm sure they won't mind being asked. I actually found someone on the list from my association that I knew. No idea he kept bees!
 
Or could I purchase and introduce a new queen which potentially may be the quickest (if it really is queenless)?

Yes, that would be the ideal answer but you MUST be sure the hive has no queen so.......................
 
Thanks Erica - I understand the emphasis on MUST...

What's the best way to do that - apart from very careful inspection, or is that the only way?
 

Latest posts

Back
Top