- Joined
- Sep 5, 2017
- Messages
- 1,026
- Reaction score
- 253
- Location
- West Wickham/ N Kent BR4
- Hive Type
- National
- Number of Hives
- 3
Been keeping just over a year.
No sign of larvae or eggs, queen never marked or clearly seen since original purchased queen was also lost around the time I split to 2 hives for a while in April but marked Q went missing. Hive 1 has been on deep+shallow brood since last Autumn and continued well, having >30Kg honey mid June, I harvested 3 frames... Was hard to judge progress and guess future needs due to weather, quite apart from my lack of experience.
Just last week or so been feeling things were slow rather than building up and the extra super I put on not needed now etc. Not much pollen coming in either...
Just had time to go through properly, since 1 Aug, having since then just had a quick eye to verroa (only 2 in 10 days, so very low) and general state of supers building up.
Have been away for a few long festival weekends, so maybe a swarm went off since last BIAS confirmation 1 Aug.
NOW: There are about 3 sides of capped brood but rather scattered over 3 frames. Areas that were brood are wet honey. The densest side of brood, about 90% cover, has 7 slightly small to my eye (around or just under 2cm) sealed Qcells vertically along the side of the comb. I assume this fits with a Q about to swarm or not in great shape... she has never laid brilliantly AFAIK.
So I am assuming they are supercedure cells and thinking to leave them to emerge and sort out the best of themselves, assuming they know best how to continue their colony.
They do not have masses of stores, down to 15Kg maybe and lots (? 4 or 5 normally around sniffing) of wasp attention though I do not think the wasps get inside much just now. Opening about 5cm.
I have reduced to just a brood box, QX and 2 supers (did not want to rejig all the frames yet, pending advice and hoping for some late season expansion...).
What you advise re queen? (buy/wait/other)
What do you anticipate being the trajectory from here through the winter?
(N Kent/London border)
Many thanks!
I have a nuc box so could split some stores and Qcells off into that to increase odds?? Or is the weakening of main colony against it?
No sign of larvae or eggs, queen never marked or clearly seen since original purchased queen was also lost around the time I split to 2 hives for a while in April but marked Q went missing. Hive 1 has been on deep+shallow brood since last Autumn and continued well, having >30Kg honey mid June, I harvested 3 frames... Was hard to judge progress and guess future needs due to weather, quite apart from my lack of experience.
Just last week or so been feeling things were slow rather than building up and the extra super I put on not needed now etc. Not much pollen coming in either...
Just had time to go through properly, since 1 Aug, having since then just had a quick eye to verroa (only 2 in 10 days, so very low) and general state of supers building up.
Have been away for a few long festival weekends, so maybe a swarm went off since last BIAS confirmation 1 Aug.
NOW: There are about 3 sides of capped brood but rather scattered over 3 frames. Areas that were brood are wet honey. The densest side of brood, about 90% cover, has 7 slightly small to my eye (around or just under 2cm) sealed Qcells vertically along the side of the comb. I assume this fits with a Q about to swarm or not in great shape... she has never laid brilliantly AFAIK.
So I am assuming they are supercedure cells and thinking to leave them to emerge and sort out the best of themselves, assuming they know best how to continue their colony.
They do not have masses of stores, down to 15Kg maybe and lots (? 4 or 5 normally around sniffing) of wasp attention though I do not think the wasps get inside much just now. Opening about 5cm.
I have reduced to just a brood box, QX and 2 supers (did not want to rejig all the frames yet, pending advice and hoping for some late season expansion...).
What you advise re queen? (buy/wait/other)
What do you anticipate being the trajectory from here through the winter?
(N Kent/London border)
Many thanks!
I have a nuc box so could split some stores and Qcells off into that to increase odds?? Or is the weakening of main colony against it?
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