Drone Brood

[BugsInABox]

I'm noticing an increase in sealed drone brood - worker brood around too. Should I be worried?

 

[masterBK]

Possibly. Get an experienced beekeeper to have a look.

 

[BugsInABox]

Thanks, don't know any locally with TBH interest :-(
I suppose I'm thinking drone laying queen - do they go this way gradually or is it an overnight thing?

 

[Erichalfbee]

If she’s an established queen and there is a lot of drone brood, at this time of year I would replace her

 

[BugsInABox]

Thanks Erich. I was thinking the same, would you try and find a replacement now or wait till spring. That said I've just had another look. The drone comb is partially emerged (with odd drone seen on the comb) and the larvae I saw last time have been capped as workers. No sign of Queen cells. A few larvae, no eggs though I could have missed a gentle scattering easily. Queen seen. I may cross my fingers till spring unless that's an obvious error.

 

[Erichalfbee]

If she’s laying drone the colony won’t last till spring
Hivemaker might still have queens. Have a look on exmoorbeesandbeehives web site

 

[BugsInABox]

Thanks for the tip

 

[Cuckmere couple]

If she’s an established queen and there is a lot of drone brood, at this time of year I would replace her

can you say more about laying drone brood at this time of year?

this is something ive not heard of...is it because there wont be enough normal brood or is it a sign of a problem with Q?

 

[Erichalfbee]

can you say more about laying drone brood at this time of year?

this is something ive not heard of...is it because there wont be enough normal brood or is it a sign of a problem with Q?

Drones are getting kicked out
Any significant amount of drone brood this time of year is suspect

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

can you say more about laying drone brood at this time of year?

Drones are surplus to requirement now so the bees stop the queen laying drone eggs.
If there is still drone brood, it usually means the queen is running out of juice and cannot fertilise eggs, with no new workers being created, the colony will dwindle and die by the spring

 

[Cuckmere couple]

ok

very helpful

i have a friend with 1 colony who has said he has a fair patch of drone brood and i put it down to good weather we are having

so, really helpful

 

[FAZERLOZ]

So ...... if you put in more brood and eggs would the bees then make queen cells to replace the dud queen ?

 

[Erichalfbee]

So ...... if you put in more brood and eggs would the bees then make queen cells to replace the dud queen ?

Maybe but likely not unless they have tried before and have been prevented by the beekeeper destroying supersedure cells.
If they have NO queen they will make emergency queen cells ( but not invariably )

 

[Poly Hive]

No they would not as the OP has already said there is worker brood to so the material is already there to work with.

In my view she's scrap. Kill her and intro.

PH