Another queenless hive

[BCBEE]

Hi
I am a bit puzzled with my new hive which i have had about 8 weeks from a nuc

I have never seen the queen but during the first couple of inspections I didnt worry too much being a begginer. I could see brood and eggs in the frames so all was well and no queen cells.
Then about 3 weeks ago they swarmed but a thought that they had returned (after posting on here) as the swarm in the tree where they went dissapeared and i seemed to have all my bees back.

There had been a super on the hive for the past 4 weeks but there is only 3 or 4 frames of honey on this and it was there when they swarmed (with a QE in place)

Last time i inspected there was brood and eggs but that was two weeks ago.

Now yesterday when i looked i couldnt see the queen but there were 5 empty queen cells under the middle frame.

the brood cells were all empty !!

there were stores of honety on the outer frames and pollen around where the brood used to be but the brood cells are all empty.

I have assumed that when they swarmed she did actually go with them and they didnt actually return, the brood that were eggs carried on developing and then there was no queen to replace them.

What i cant understand is why if there are 5 queen cells there aint a queen (i looked really carefull yesterday)

Any advice appreciated especially as what to do next.

Phill

 

[drstitson]

all empty cells implies no eggs laid for 3 weeks.

 

[johncorne]

If the eggs seen were just about to hatch, it would bring it down to about 18 days - but maybe thats picking nits!

There could still be a virgin in there - not as easy to spot as a laying queen... sometimes it seems to take a long time from emerging to laying.

Jc

 

[BCBEE]

If the eggs seen were just about to hatch, it would bring it down to about 18 days - but maybe thats picking nits!

There could still be a virgin in there - not as easy to spot as a laying queen... sometimes it seems to take a long time from emerging to laying.

Jc

Thanks all
I will keep looking and hopefully she will go on her mating flight and start laying in a few days/weeks

Phill

 

[louiseww]

Hi
I am a bit puzzled with my new hive which i have had about 8 weeks from a nuc

I have never seen the queen but during the first couple of inspections I didnt worry too much being a begginer. I could see brood and eggs in the frames so all was well and no queen cells.
Then about 3 weeks ago they swarmed but a thought that they had returned (after posting on here) as the swarm in the tree where they went dissapeared and i seemed to have all my bees back.

There had been a super on the hive for the past 4 weeks but there is only 3 or 4 frames of honey on this and it was there when they swarmed (with a QE in place)

Last time i inspected there was brood and eggs but that was two weeks ago.

Now yesterday when i looked i couldnt see the queen but there were 5 empty queen cells under the middle frame.

the brood cells were all empty !!

there were stores of honety on the outer frames and pollen around where the brood used to be but the brood cells are all empty.

I have assumed that when they swarmed she did actually go with them and they didnt actually return, the brood that were eggs carried on developing and then there was no queen to replace them.

What i cant understand is why if there are 5 queen cells there aint a queen (i looked really carefull yesterday)

Any advice appreciated especially as what to do next.

Phill

My mentor told me that only a really experienced beekeeper will be able to find an unmated queen as they are slim and not very different from the others. My advice would be to wait and see if she is there and starts to lay but this could be up to four weeks.
Louise