AS Question

[popcornpie]

Having carried out an AS 8 days ago, I checked the queenless hive today expecting to find queen cells. Instead I found more brood than I remembered being there last week including young lava. There were no queen cells. How can this be? I checked the other hive and the queen is definitely still in there, she's marked with a white spot.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

When you did the A/S did you notice how many eggs there were? how much larvae and what size.
Were there eggs there this time?
What time of day did you do the A/S, what time did you inspect this time?

Think it out - the queen would have been laying eggs up until the minute you did the A/S a lot of those would still be larvae, the larvae you saw last time would now be sealed brood so there would still be a heck of a lot of brood in there a week later.

 

[beeno]

Unless the parent colony is depleted, I as you would have expected to see some emergency cells. Well, first virgin out must have killed them off and the workers made a mad dash to remove the remains of the cells.

 

[popcornpie]

Thank you for your help. I went back and reread the life cycle section in my Beekeeping for Dummies (appropriate title!) and realise I was panicking prematurely! I am still surprised not to have seen queen cells but it's possible I missed them. I have an experienced beekeeper coming to take a look with me. Once again

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

was the QC that persuaded you to conduct an A/S there still? and was said QC open or sealed when you did the A/S?