An appeal to the Sherlock Holmes amongst you.

[mbc]

Please understand the following caveats regarding photos of combs:

1) Lighting/shadows and lens distortion can play tricks on the eye
2) The temptation to grab the frame and twist to a better angle is ever-present
3) One odd photo does not make a positive diagnosis

With that said, I'd ask somebody more experienced to look at the colony, preferrably a local Inspector. I don't like what I'm seeing in the two cells highlighted.

Could be odd shadows, shaking hard or banging the frame, early-stage chalkbrood, or whatever, but those two larvae do not look correct.

Do not panic, but do get an informed 2nd opinion

Good advice Danbee but bare in mind that the larvae are probably from unfertilised eggs in worker cells and will more often than not be partially neglected.

 

[mbc]

Thanks to everyone, please keep your opinions coming, some really helpful information has been given already which, although much of it not being what I wanted to hear, I genuinely appreciate.
I would rather have the hard truth than delude myself.

The reason I started to keep bees is because we have an abandoned dovecote (thanks to the local Sparrowhawk) which subsequently seems to have performed well as a "bait box" on several occasions to date.
To cut a long story short all the bees we have came to us of their own choice, the first "group" arriving three years ago.

Regarding the hive in question, the old Queen was found "abandoned"? just outside the hive, apparently "on her last legs" several weeks ago.

Queen cells were subsequently found, but being unsure of the best course of action in the circumstances, and having yet to discover this forum, through inexperience, hands up I don't think I have acted quickly enough or in the correct manner, but I am learning all the time and intend to get it right next time.

I am now (possibly mistakenly?) entertaining the idea of a test frame, this hopefully producing a viable Queen cell, which with the benefit of the wonderful Indian summer of which we are all definitely deserving! will potentially allow enough time for the colony to build up for the winter.

Back to delusion again ???!

Thanks everyone.

A test frame is just that, a test frame, at this stage of the season it would be unwise IMO to allow the bees to raise an emergency queen to head the colony into winter, however the test frame is a good interim measure to keep the colony going (without it turning into laying workers - whoever suggested these pictures looks like laying workers is mistaken IMO) until something positive is done about it, either shaking out, uniting (if the test frame says queenless) or adding a mated queen( again only if the test frame says queenless or if the misfiring queen is found and removed).

 

[lancee]

Test frame inserted yesterday, watch this space!

 

[lancee]

Some new evidence for you detectives,

Test frame inserted with eggs and very young larvae on Thursday (4 days ago), pictures of the test frame shown taken today (Monday).
Capped brood, apparently (to me) normal, and no Queen cell/s.
No sign now after a thorough search of any eggs in the brood box whatsoever,
six frames were and are built up, old comb, no sign of new comb, some larvae in apparently later stages of development.

I assume from this that the bees have or think they have a Queen ?
Tried a search but no luck.

No new brood comb has been built up.

If there is a Queen why no more laying?

If she is a drone laying Queen, why no more eggs? (I have not squashed her!)

If original eggs/larvae (pre test frame) were from egg laying workers, why lay if there was a Queen present?

Have the eggs on the test frame now inhibited the drone laying workers?

Is that a young Queen towards the bottom right of the second picture?

What are your thoughts ?!!!

 

[Walrus]

I'm not a fully qualified Sherlock, but what I'd do is add another frame with eggs on, and another a week later if necessary, until they make a queen.

Over to the real sleuths......

 

[oliver90owner]

... add another frame .... until they make a queen.

But they won't if there is a queen already present, and even if they do they are likely already far too weak to produce a decent one.

 

[PaleoPerson]

Sounds like you have a virgin/young mated queen in there.

 

[mbc]

There's no queen I can see in the photo's.
My best guess at whats going on is that you do have a queen of sorts in the hive hence the negative result( no emergency cells started) from the test frame. Shes best found and destroyed but thats easier said than done as a dlq can quite often be a very scuttly beast who's quick to hide and could disappear of her own accord (or with help from the bees-same result) further complicating your choices. I'd be tempted to go for a second test frame if you have the resources, at least then the colony will have some young bees once the brood's hatched out, ready to accept a new queen if you succeed in getting shot of the rubbish one.

 

[oliver90owner]

A few more observations (yes, the clues are there).

Now almost a week since the thtread was started - the colony is a week closer to winter and likely weaker, with no decent queen, if one at all, and no prospect of one at this time.

I have seen no strong evidence that the larvae seen recently were not from laying workers. A shame because the only other clues are that there are no more eggs since the test frame was introduced, possibly reinforcing that suspicion, and the knowledge that queens, once laying, do not just stop for no good reason.

A frme full of brood as a test frame was IMO OTT. It may well yet be wasted resources andd further, may seriously weaken the donor colony.

A frame with a few eggs is more than adequate as a test frame - but it might demonstrate that the OP is trying hard to strengthen the colony (and so show resolve in getting the colony through the winter).

I am not sold on mbc's belief that there is a queen there, but that idea should not be discounted entirely.

There also appears there may be a serious varroa problem, noting the pics showing evidence of some DWV sufferers.

If adding further test frames, please make sure there are enough bees in the colony to take them through to emergence (as long as the one in at present 'emerges' that should be OK).

By now I would be searching out any possible queen by any method appropriate, if I had already not found evidence of laying workers. I would be preparing a small nuc hive to receive the new queen, ready for uniting at the earliest opportunity. Whether the resources are available to do that, I don't know.

On second thoughts, if they were mine they likely would not have been left to get this far...

 

[Meg]

Well, it doesn't look that bad to me.

I reckon it was a DLQ to start with (eggs at base of proper depth cells so not workers) that the bees have most likely got rid of when the test frame was put in. The brood pheromones would have said 'normal from a decent Q brood' so maybe they didn't think they needed to raise a new queen.

If possible I would check again with another test frame then if Q cells being made after a couple of days I would knock them out and introduce a bought in Q straightaway. This will give them the best chance to build up and you know you have a decent queen. I would not bither with a nuc to introduce the Q into as the colony is not that strong anyway by the sounds of things.

Best of luck.

Meg