Drone laying queen and queen cells

[Saffabee]

I am sure I am right in thinking but bees would not cap a drone in a queen cell. I have a drone layer and there is plenty of capped drone cells there is however 2 or 3 clear elongated queen cells which are capped. I was going to throw them out as I thought they would be to old to save after the winter however was going to give them the benefit of the doubt after finding the cells.


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[beeno]

I am sure I am right in thinking but bees would not cap a drone in a queen cell. I have a drone layer and there is plenty of capped drone cells there is however 2 or 3 clear elongated queen cells which are capped. I was going to throw them out as I thought they would be to old to save after the winter however was going to give them the benefit of the doubt after finding the cells.


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Unfortunately, in desperation they do. If you solely have capped drone brood then game over I am afraid.

 

[pargyle]

I am sure I am right in thinking but bees would not cap a drone in a queen cell. I have a drone layer and there is plenty of capped drone cells there is however 2 or 3 clear elongated queen cells which are capped. I was going to throw them out as I thought they would be to old to save after the winter however was going to give them the benefit of the doubt after finding the cells.
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They can try and raise a queen from drone eggs if there are no worker eggs for them to us - but they are doomed to failure. Same situation when you have laying workers - again. doomed to failure.

But.. are you sure there was no opportunity for them to find a viable egg in the last stages of your queen turning D/L ? Is the queen still in there ? What was she like - how old ?

Personally, I'd give them a week to see what comes out but you are going to have to be prepared to either combine them with another colony, shake them out or get another queen if you want to keep the colony if the queen cells are not viable. You could cage the queen cells if you are worried about finding out what comes out of them or if you can't find a queen in the colony.

 

[Saffabee]

No problem, the hive is still quite full of bees so I can steal a frame of eggs from another hive. Some of the capped brood does look like worker but the majority is drone. So they may have got a fertilised egg. I was just checking if they would only cap a queen cell with a queen in it. I will pop down later and drop a frame of eggs in to see if they can be saved. Don’t want to spend to much energy on them as the other hive are all getting going and so I don’t want to be wasting time on a doomed hive.

Thanks for the responses

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[pargyle]

No problem, the hive is still quite full of bees so I can steal a frame of eggs from another hive. Some of the capped brood does look like worker but the majority is drone. So they may have got a fertilised egg. I was just checking if they would only cap a queen cell with a queen in it. I will pop down later and drop a frame of eggs in to see if they can be saved. Don’t want to spend to much energy on them as the other hive are all getting going and so I don’t want to be wasting time on a doomed hive.

Thanks for the responses

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You don't need to take a full frame out - you can just cut a patch of comb with eggs in it out of the donor hive and insert it into a frame of comb in the hive you are seeking to check - mark the frame with a drawing pin or a marker pen and check in a few days if they have built on the donor eggs. Saves weakening a strong colony ...

 

[Saffabee]

Thanks Pargyle

Good tip you are right no need to waste a whole frame.


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