Drone Layer

[Erichalfbee]

Just for the beginners here a couple of frames from a badly mated queen...product of my first AS this year.
There is some worker brood and the poor bees were valiantly trying to make themselves a new queen.
The old queen is dead, the colony united with their original queen and the frames in the freezer for chooks to eat tomorrow.

 

[bpmurray]

I had one of those too - presumably the bad weather in May caused poorly mated queens.

 

[Hachi]

Have one just like it at the moment. Spent ages looking for the Q and couldn't find her. Its from a swarm earlier in the year. uniting here we come.

 

[Tom Bick]

Quite a few early queens have failed and suspect a good few of the mated queens will be superseded or fail early

 

[Arfermo]

I was amazed that last Sunday, a newly mated or virgin queen that was pulled 6 days earlier, absconded with an huge entourage and never returned. Hence no larvae or eggs and going nowhere fast. Utterly amazing. I have never seen or heard of this suicidal action. Any views? Bees seem to going barmy this year. Luckily had a spare capped QC on a frame in another hive. Introduced frame and QC. Now waiting for result but will give frame of eggs too today now I have finished most of deferred gardening jobs.

 

[idg]

Just for the beginners here a couple of frames from a badly mated queen...product of my first AS this year.
There is some worker brood and the poor bees were valiantly trying to make themselves a new queen.
The old queen is dead, the colony united with their original queen and the frames in the freezer for chooks to eat tomorrow.

Erica, thanks for the photos. I have a Nuc on 3 frames in similar condition. I was going to tip them out last weekend but decided against it as there were small areas of worker brood. My question is this:-
a) Should I unite or tip out ( I cant find the DLQ)
b) Are the frames recoverable or scrap?

 

[idg]

Erica, thanks for the photos. I have a Nuc on 3 frames in similar condition. I was going to tip them out last weekend but decided against it as there were small areas of worker brood. My question is this:-
a) Should I unite or tip out ( I cant find the DLQ)
b) Are the frames recoverable or scrap?

 

[Swarm]

Scrap the comb and reuse the frame.

Edit:
Nice informative post for new beeks, nice one Erichalfbee.