Do I have a problem?

[Nick W]

Hi

You may recall I had a swarm on 20th May.

I have fed and checked them today. However, I have found lots of drawn out foundation (totally new foundation with 1 old comb) - it is filled with a yellow / orange looking stuff that looks like it has crystalised.

However, for the life of me, I can not see any grubs or C shaped items.

I have looked really really hard, especially on the middle frames which are drawn out. Stacks of bees, but is it me or am I missing brood?

Is the orange / yellow stuff honey/pollen?

Cheers

Nick

 

[andypigeon]

sometimes it takes the queen a bit to start laying again or it could be a virgin queen, i would leave them a bit and see then if still nothin i would put a test frame in

 

[thurrock bees]

sometimes it takes the queen a bit to start laying again or it could be a virgin queen, i would leave them a bit and see then if still nothin i would put a test frame in

, give the Queen a chance to mate.

 

[Cazza]

Hi


Is the orange / yellow stuff honey/pollen?

Hi Nick

Can't imagine what else it will be?

Cazza

 

[Heather]

And it may have been a virgin queen - so 3 weeks patient non intrusion for you...Just a feed 2 days after hiving- then observe from a few feet for quite a while till they are fully settled!

I have a colony that had virgin - first time I looked a few eggs in each cell - my heart dropped- laying workers- but I checked 3 days later - she got the hang of it and started to control the flow- one egg per cell - phew! So, lesson 1- never jump to conclusions- recheck

 

[Poly Hive]

How do you tell the difference between a learning mated Q and laying workers?

Both can have cells with multiple eggs. so not much help there... but...

Laying workers are just that worker bees and the primary difference between them and a Q is body length.

so laying workers have cells that are not on the bottom of the cell and the learning queen's will be on the bottom where they should be.

You will not (normally) get both situations at the same time.

As Heather says after a few days the new queen learns control and will neatly and hopefully prolifically lay up the awaiting polished cells.

PH