Brood breaks and no eggs

[Markthebuilder]

I often read the reassuring answer to an ops question …. The queen could be on a brood break.

what I can’t find out is the average length of time these brood breaks go on for.

lots of factors I appreciate but as an example
At this time of year how long would it be sensible for a beek to assume a brood break was taking place before they started to worry that there was another reason for the queen not laying

 

[Patrick1]

A brood break this time of year is a little worrying, normally in my hives they may take one when a break in the nectar flow happens.
If It is now I would be concerned about the queen, I would probably separate the queen from the hive add a small piece of eggs larva from another hive and see if they attempt to draw a cell, do you have any drones in the hive ?

 

[GuyNir]

Here, I don’t really see brood breaks now. Not huge amounts of open brood, but no complete breaks. I can see eggs and young larvae in any Q right colony I look at. Mind you, we still have some heather and balsam coming in.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

A brood break this time of year is a little worrying,

Not around here - it's the norm

 

[Gilberdyke John]

A brood break this time of year is a little worrying, normally in my hives they may take one when a break in the nectar flow happens.
If It is now I would be concerned about the queen, I would probably separate the queen from the hive add a small piece of eggs larva from another hive and see if they attempt to draw a cell, do you have any drones in the hive ?

Am I missing something here? If you separate the queen from the hive I'd fully expect the bees to try to create a replacement from eggs/larvae on a piece of comb you introduce.

 

[elainemary]

Several of my colonies have a brood break from the end of august. I see it as a positive as the winter bees produced in august will see the colony through (not lost any colonies last 4 seasons). Why make lots of new bees that consume lots of winter stores if they’re not needed. Think it may be a trait of darker bees. Granted I don’t look at my bees after end of sept so maybe the queen starts laying again, but over winter on average they just consumed 23lb of stores. I wouldn’t worry about it and I wouldn’t change the queen unless I saw increased drone brood.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I Agree, Ive seen it with my bees reduced egg laying, it's happened before the main flows, and after..
Colonys that have good sources are still laying well.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

so maybe the queen starts laying again,

of course she does - where do you think the winter bees come from?

 

[madasafish]

I can recall brood breaks every year except 2018 where the weather was splendid and bees kept foraging in thousands daily right till September.

This year - like past ones - we have had mixed periods of sunshine interspaced with weather so cold at time (in June!) that a midday temperature of >10C was remarkable. Unsurprisingly every colony had brood breaks then.

 

[Finman]

I have not met a hive during last 60 years, which keep laying brake during a summer. Except in swarming cases.

 

[user 20297]

I have not met a hive during last 60 years, which keep laying brake during a summer. Except in swarming cases.

Only two seasons' experience in my case, but egg-laying appeared to be continuous in all colonies.

 

[Swarm]

Several of my colonies have a brood break from the end of august. I see it as a positive as the winter bees produced in august will see the colony through (not lost any colonies last 4 seasons). Why make lots of new bees that consume lots of winter stores if they’re not needed. Think it may be a trait of darker bees. Granted I don’t look at my bees after end of sept so maybe the queen starts laying again, but over winter on average they just consumed 23lb of stores. I wouldn’t worry about it and I wouldn’t change the queen unless I saw increased drone brood.

Brood break here was onset of August. I've been seeing hundreds of water gatherers last few visits though and a check today while relocating hives confirmed lots of new eggs and larvae.

 

[Markthebuilder]

A brood break this time of year is a little worrying, normally in my hives they may take one when a break in the nectar flow happens.
If It is now I would be concerned about the queen, I would probably separate the queen from the hive add a small piece of eggs larva from another hive and see if they attempt to draw a cell, do you have any drones in the hive ?

It’s more of a general question as I can’t find a definitive answer . I do have a queen that last year appeared to lay well for a while then took a break then layed well for a while befor another break and so on. She is going to be permanently retired before winter I’m just seeing if I can squeez a frame of brood out of her befor the deed.

 

[Markthebuilder]

To expand on the original question .and not to be confused with say winter reduction in egg laying

1) when And why can we expect a queen to stop laying for a short period.
2) if we note a queen isn’t laying new eggs how long do we tell ourselves “she is on a brood break”

 

[drex]

The weather here was so changeable this season most of mine had 2-3 brood breaks. As to how long I would leave it before worrying, I would have started to get concerned if egg laying did not pick up with the weather

 

[elainemary]

of course she does - where do you think the winter bees come from?

Produced in august of course! Depending on the colony and age of queen

 

[Patrick1]

Produced from August, our Queens in the south seldom stop laying in the winter, they tick over all winter

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Produced in august of course! Depending on the colony and age of queen

It seems that every year people believe that winter bees get produced earlier and earlier.
Before long we'll be told that winter bees are produced in April

 

[Murox]

Produced from August, our Queens in the south seldom stop laying in the winter, they tick over all winter

Maybe not just the south. I live in shall I say a "warm corner", last winter some of mine were 'ticking over' the whole winter as well in their cosy insulated boxes.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Produced in august of course! Depending on the colony and age of queen

September here and like others ticking over most of the winter