Cells polished but no eggs yet

[patrickr]

Hi all

Old queen did a runner with half the hive on 29th May. I left the colony for 3 weeks + for the new queen to mate. The weather was patchy during this time. I opened the hive for a visual on 22nd June and saw that cells had been polished ready for something to lay?! Another inspection on 29th and still the same situation: no eggs. Wasn't able to locate the queen but she might be there. My question is: if bees are polishing the cells, does that mean there is definitely a queen there? Could they be unknowingly paving the way for a queen which has not actually mated properly and therefore doomed? How much longer should I leave it?

Thanks

 

[GuyNir]

Insert a test frame. You should know within a few days if there’s a Q or not.

 

[Wingy]

Bees prep in anticipation of a laying Q, even continuing to bring in pollen ready to feed the soon expected larvae
1 of many scenarios is the VQ hasn’t made it back from a mating flight but the colony are expecting her back and just carry on regardless

 

[Boston Bees]

I also think it's easy to confuse "polished cells" with cells that simply no longer have food in because of the June gap and the dwindling forager force.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Hi all

Old queen did a runner with half the hive on 29th May. I left the colony for 3 weeks + for the new queen to mate. The weather was patchy during this time. I opened the hive for a visual on 22nd June and saw that cells had been polished ready for something to lay?! Another inspection on 29th and still the same situation: no eggs. Wasn't able to locate the queen but she might be there. My question is: if bees are polishing the cells, does that mean there is definitely a queen there? Could they be unknowingly paving the way for a queen which has not actually mated properly and therefore doomed? How much longer should I leave it?

Thanks

Bees swarmed on the 29th of May - let's assume it was on a sealed QC, that means she may not have emerged until 6th of June, that was only four weeks ago, I'd give them another couple of weeks before even thinking of starting to worry

 

[ericbeaumont]

does that mean there is definitely a queen there?

Regretfully, nothing in beekeeping is definite, but it can take 4-5 weeks for laying to begin.

Do you have another colony?

 

[hemo]

As JBM has mentioned using an estimated date line. If the Q emerged about the 6th June, a mating flight may not have occurred until the earliest about the 11/12th. So allow approx. another 35 - 42 days to see eggs.
If worried about numbers supplement with sealed brood from another colony and if needing to check for QR insert a fame of eggs/day old larvae.

 

[patrickr]

Regretfully, nothing in beekeeping is definite, but it can take 4-5 weeks for laying to begin.

Do you have another colony?

Hi, I have limited other stock. One weaker colony which I don't particularly want to steal a test frame from, but can. The other is on a 14x12 which is wrong size so awkward. The suspect colony is a bit tetchy which could indicate queenless,... yes, I should wait a few days more...

 

[Murox]

Hi, I have limited other stock. One weaker colony which I don't particularly want to steal a test frame from, but can. The other is on a 14x12 which is wrong size so awkward. The suspect colony is a bit tetchy which could indicate queenless,... yes, I should wait a few days more...

You don't have to use/take a whole frame - just cut out (pastry/biscuit cutter) a small section with the necessary eggs/larva.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

or just put the frame in for a few days to see what the result is then put it back in the original colony.

 

[Finman]

It is better to be happy then, when you see eggs in cells. A fat queen is too better sign than polished cells.

 

[Finman]

As JBM has mentioned using an estimated date line. If the Q emerged about the 6th June, a mating flight may not have occurred until the earliest about the 11/12th. So allow approx. another 35 - 42 days to see

The virgin is mature to mate at the age of 7 days.

Mating takes 1-3 days.

It is common that the queen starts to lay after 10 days after birth. One day here or there, it has no meaning. That is nothing competition or record thing.

When the virgin comes out from swarm cell, she may be allready 2 days old.

 

[patrickr]

Thanks all. Some great answers.

 

[patrickr]

Thanks all. Some great answers.

ALL great answers!

 

[user 20297]

or just put the frame in for a few days to see what the result is then put it back in the original colony.

I did that recently; eggs and young brood on a frame from one colony to test a suspected queenless one, they simply capped them as worker brood meaning they had a queen, once they had incubated and that brood was close to emerging I put it in a third colony which was short of bees.

 

[Brenda]

I did that recently; eggs and young brood on a frame from one colony to test a suspected queenless one, they simply capped them as worker brood meaning they had a queen, once they had incubated and that brood was close to emerging I put it in a third colony which was short of bees.

My guess is you have a queen just be patient.

 

[user 20297]

My guess is you have a queen just be patient.

I definitely have...can't wait to spot her; my point is that if you have healthy colonies, but as @patrickr , you have "limited other stock", the "test" frame can go on to have other uses.

 

[patrickr]

I definitely have...can't wait to spot her; my point is that if you have healthy colonies, but as @patrickr , you have "limited other stock", the "test" frame can go on to have other uses.