- Joined
- Nov 22, 2019
- Messages
- 17
- Reaction score
- 5
- Location
- Pen-y-Bryn, nr Wrexham
- Hive Type
- National
- Number of Hives
- 30+
I have a hive at an out apiary (on single national brood with supers) which was doing quite well. They started swarm preparations at the end of June so the queen was removed into a nuc and I left them to it. I reduced the queen cells down to 1or 2 on the next inspection a week later.
Hadn't bothered attempting to go in the brood box, just checking the supers for bees to see if they needed space.
Decided this morning that I should check for eggs and mated queen. The brood box seemed to have plenty of bees but they weren't really moving very much, quite a few had their wings stuck out at an angle and quite a few were shaking. Started pulling the frames, plenty of capped and uncapped stores but around 7 frames of drone brood in all stages. Couldn't see any worker brood. Couldn't see multiple eggs in cells so suspect DLQ. Couldn't see a queen. One frame had a single capped queen cell but as I was unsure if it was the old one I uncapped it and it had Royal Jelly and a larve. I'd say 60-70% of the bees on the frames were struggling either with wings out at an angle or shaking.
Not sure where to go with them now, they've had no worker brood since the end of June, 7 frames of drone brood which is just draining resources plus a bad case of what I think is CBPV.
I've added a frame of eggs from the hive next to them to see what they do. Assuming they make queen cells and I let them requeen, I'm looking at the virgin trying to mate in September, if she does mate she might not start laying until the end of September with brood emerging towards mid October. Can't see there being any bees left to look after the brood anyway unless I add capped brood from neighbouring hives.
I'm reluctant to merge a nuc with the hive because of the CBPV, same with buying a mated queen.
Not entirely sure what way to turn so thought I'd post on here. I've never seen CBPV like this assuming that's what it is. I've seen posts say to shake them out and the healthy bees return but I've got 7 frames of drone brood which I don't really want!
Sorry for rambling, have I missed anything obvious? What would you do?
TIA
Hadn't bothered attempting to go in the brood box, just checking the supers for bees to see if they needed space.
Decided this morning that I should check for eggs and mated queen. The brood box seemed to have plenty of bees but they weren't really moving very much, quite a few had their wings stuck out at an angle and quite a few were shaking. Started pulling the frames, plenty of capped and uncapped stores but around 7 frames of drone brood in all stages. Couldn't see any worker brood. Couldn't see multiple eggs in cells so suspect DLQ. Couldn't see a queen. One frame had a single capped queen cell but as I was unsure if it was the old one I uncapped it and it had Royal Jelly and a larve. I'd say 60-70% of the bees on the frames were struggling either with wings out at an angle or shaking.
Not sure where to go with them now, they've had no worker brood since the end of June, 7 frames of drone brood which is just draining resources plus a bad case of what I think is CBPV.
I've added a frame of eggs from the hive next to them to see what they do. Assuming they make queen cells and I let them requeen, I'm looking at the virgin trying to mate in September, if she does mate she might not start laying until the end of September with brood emerging towards mid October. Can't see there being any bees left to look after the brood anyway unless I add capped brood from neighbouring hives.
I'm reluctant to merge a nuc with the hive because of the CBPV, same with buying a mated queen.
Not entirely sure what way to turn so thought I'd post on here. I've never seen CBPV like this assuming that's what it is. I've seen posts say to shake them out and the healthy bees return but I've got 7 frames of drone brood which I don't really want!
Sorry for rambling, have I missed anything obvious? What would you do?
TIA
