drone cells

[redpig]

Hello all checked my colonies yesterday and found one has plenty eggs, larvae and capped brood but there seems to be a lot of capped drones interspersed between the brood, there were a couple of play queen cells being constructed but i destroyed them. I'm wondering if the queen is nearing the end of her laying life?
Probably should have left the queen cells alone but its a bit late for mating flights.

 

[drex]

So, you have seen lots of capped drone brood , but still think it's late for mating flights ???
Supersedure is common at this time of year ( or even later)

 

[beeno]

Hi redpig,
Drone brood interspersed between worker brood is ok. Drone brood in worker cells is not and would indicate that your queen is running out of sperm. It is very important which scenario it is. Play cups with no eggs or larvae is always constructed by colonies and I destroy them as I don't want to inspect the same ones every week. All of a sudden one week they have "activated" them and you have got tired of inspecting every single one.

 

[redpig]

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[redpig]

Hi redpig,
Drone brood interspersed between worker brood is ok. Drone brood in worker cells is not and would indicate that your queen is running out of sperm. It is very important which scenario it is. Play cups with no eggs or larvae is always constructed by colonies and I destroy them as I don't want to inspect the same ones every week. All of a sudden one week they have "activated" them and you have got tired of inspecting every single one.

Thanks beeno, I'll see in a couple of weeks if the drone cells have increased in number after this lot of brood have hatched.

 

[beeno]

So, you have seen lots of capped drone brood , but still think it's late for mating flights ???
Supersedure is common at this time of year ( or even later)

Thank you so much for sharing, I remain forever humble.
[/QUOTE]

 

[beeno]

Why don't you take a picture of a frame of brood then we will hopefully know which scenario you have got. None of my colonies have drone brood now and I am a lot further south!

 

[redpig]

Thanks beeno, I shall do tomorrow. The regional inspector is coming to do an efb test and I'll take a couple of snaps while he's holding the frames.

 

[redpig]

So, you have seen lots of capped drone brood , but still think it's late for mating flights ???
Supersedure is common at this time of year ( or even later)

Thank you so much for sharing, I remain forever humble.

 

[E&MBees]

Why don't you take a picture of a frame of brood then we will hopefully know which scenario you have got. None of my colonies have drone brood now and I am a lot further south!

One of my colonies has a little bit left.

 

[beeno]

Thanks beeno, I shall do tomorrow. The regional inspector is coming to do an efb test and I'll take a couple of snaps while he's holding the frames.

Don't worry about the pic then just ask him. He will be pleased to help.

 

[redpig]

I'll still take one and show you and it may be of help to someone in future.
Busy planning how to progress the anti-wasp tunnels with what's available in the shed.

 

[redpig]

Hello beeno,
It was good news as far as disease goes they are clear but as I thought yes I have a problem.
Options are either i get hold of another mated queen, merge a weaker colony in or take a chance that she has enough fertile eggs for spring. Bad news im very worried.
I've attached a pic of one of the frames.

 

[beeno]

Yep she is running out of sperm. IMHO get a mated Q from somewhere or unite rather than finding a mess and losing the colony come spring. You do have to remove the existing Q though which I am sure you are aware of. As a matter of interest, how old is she? Forgot to say, good news on the EFB front though - phew.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Hello beeno,
It was good news as far as disease goes they are clear but as I thought yes I have a problem.
Options are either i get hold of another mated queen, merge a weaker colony in or take a chance that she has enough fertile eggs for spring. Bad news im very worried.
I've attached a pic of one of the frames.View attachment 21734

Nothing wrong with that pattern

 

[beeno]

Well, I do agree with the regional bee inspector as he also had a look at the whole colony. I have never had a drone layer come spring because I prefer to solve the problem in the autumn.

 

[ShinySideUp]

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No it's not

 

[redpig]

Yep she is running out of sperm. IMHO get a mated Q from somewhere or unite rather than finding a mess and losing the colony come spring. You do have to remove the existing Q though which I am sure you are aware of. As a matter of interest, how old is she? Forgot to say, good news on the EFB front though - phew.

Thanks beeno and thanks to all of you who commented.
I've had a chat with my mentor and the plan is to merge my one weak colony which is housed in a 6 frame nuc with the failing queen colony sans queen of course.
Its hard to say how old she is beeno as she came from a swarm originally.
Finding her first should be great fun.
Hold thumbs for me.

 

[redpig]

Nothing wrong with that pattern

What would you do if you found yourself in this situation?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

What would you do if you found yourself in this situation?

Nothing. - as I struggle to see they are in any 'situation other than slowing down and backfilling brood cells with nectar.