Communist Bees

[dlawr42103]

I have one real bugger of a colony that appears determined to remain Queenless.

They became queenless quite a few months back when their Queen just seemed to disappear without trace. Strangely they didn't prepare any queen cells. Looking back I should have been more suspicious at the time, perhaps they had her locked up, hidden in a secret cell somewhere.

I did then give them a frame of eggs to draw queen cells from, which they did, and they hatched... and then they appear to have mysteriously disappeared, perhaps they abdicated, no queens were seen after hatching.

... since then they have also got rid of 2 expensively bought in queens, one within a few days, the other after a couple weeks when she had just started laying quite well!

They didn't bother making any emergency cells again, clearly now thinking its not so bad without a queen, who needs them? This idiot beekeeper keeps topping them up with bees from somewhere so they don't need a queen anymore!

After a week I gave them another frame with loads of eggs and very young larva. Two days later I find they have got rid of all the eggs and larva! - What an earth? These bees are crazy!

I have no such problems elsewhere. I have concluded these are clearly communist bees and have decided they shall all be the same, no Monarch lording it about demanding clean cells, no greedy babies eating all the good stuff . . . . No... we are all the same classless society here, everyone equal.....

Now my concern is, what if they infiltrate my other hives and they start spreading their communist propaganda...?...

This must be a common problem, what is the normal method of manipulating the political persuasions of a colony of bees? I am thinking some kind of leaflet dropping campaign.

... unless the original queen is still in there... a tyrannical ruler operating in the shadows, hidden behind multiple layers of security and a fog of secrecy and lies pretending not to be involved but sneakily picking off any potential competition... oooh... that's how these communist states always turn bad!!

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Have you considered laying workers?

 

[thorn]

It could be worse - they could be demanding to leave the apiary.

 

[rayz_x]

That sounds more like republican bees to me.

Laying workers is a possibility - are there eggs being laid? Several in a cell and up the sides of cell?
If they have been queenless for a few months surely most of the bees in there won't live much longer?

Ray

 

[Dishmop]

Convert them to Jihadists..

 

[user 6228]

Convert them to Jihadists..

any excuse for napalm ...

 

[Davelin]

Sounds like a throw in the hedge job to me.

 

[Jimy Dee]

where is the petrol can gone !

 

[Dishmop]

where is the petrol can gone !

they threw it at the wasps..

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

where is the petrol can gone !

Molotov cocktail surely!

 

[dlawr42103]

Unbelievable!

These bees are pushing are their luck...

... I thought one last chance... this is it... last dance... no more mr nice guy...

bare in mind their history.. these fuzzing bees have been queenless for ages... there is not a single egg or unsealed grub in the house... and that seems to be how they like it...

.... I put another frame in there 2 days ago from a completely different thriving colony of mine, with a good mix of eggs and unsealed young grubs...

... I ventured a peak today to see if they have removed the eggs again, and eaten them or carried them off across the border, or whatever it is they do to them... hoping, preying, surely, this time they would have drawn out some nice queen cells...

.... no... they have completely ignored them... nothing drawn at all! They really don't want a queen! I maybe should have checked if they have actually been feeding these grubs, perhaps I shall do that at the weekend.

... These bees really do seem to be acting as if they don't need a queen... its so bizarre. I think I shall either divide them all up into Nuc's... or maybe divide them up into nice packs of protein for the birds!

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

I think you should assume laying workers; it's not worth the risk of a dead Q in a decent colony. One possible cure is a frame of brood a week for three weeks. But what are you saving?

 

[dlawr42103]

If it were laying workers would I not see eggs? There are no eggs other than those I transfer from healthy colonies.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

If it were laying workers would I not see eggs? There are no eggs other than those I transfer from healthy colonies.

Yes! And drone brood. Fair enough. That is an odd one.

 

[drex]

What is actually in the cells? Any capped brood? What are the actual timings? Sound like you have had problems for months. Workers only live about 6 weeks in summer ( longer if no brood to nurse). You have recently put in test frame. No QC's drawn. Need more details. No, it is not common in my experience.

 

[Apple]

www.historylearningsite.co.uk

Send your bees on A Long March too!!

James

 

[dlawr42103]

I showed em' who's in charge around here.....

... Split that pesky queenless hive up into two nucs now, and the returning flying bees I combined with another colony.... so just nice young bees in the nucs. I have now bought two more queens that will be arriving in the next couple of days... This is definitely the last, I really mean it this time, definitely, for sure, the last chance for these... Im convinced at least one of the Nucs will accept a queen, but I wont be too shocked to find one of them does not.... they will be getting a very serious talking to if that proves to be the case!