Dying queens

[aberreef]

A few weeks after performing demarees on my hives the queens are dying. They are last years queens and lay extremely well up until they disappear. The demarees have been successful and the bees have definitely not swarmed.

They draw out a few frames of foundation which is totally laid up then in a few weeks the brood area has loads of supercedure cells.

This happened with the first hive a few weeks back and today, when I checked a hive I demareed a few weeks back, a similar thing has happened only this time there was an empty QC in the top brood box that I must have missed. The supercedure cells were also in the process of being torn down too. I had been planning on reuniting today.

I could only check the one hive today since the first was so aggressive that my smoker and veil were covered in stings so will look through the others on Wednesday. At this rate I won't have any laying queens in my apiary

I've always used Demarees for swarm control due to needing less kit and they've always worked out well for me. I think next year will see me conducting 'normal' AS on my hives. Aside from the issues I'm facing atm and the sheer weight of the brood boxes when they are filled with honey, I've feel that too many drones get trapped indoors and reduces the mating pool.

Has anyone else faced similar issues this year or got any useful tips for me please? I've never experienced anything like what's happening this season

 

[beebopalula]

Have you used M@QS?

 

[Hivemaker.]

Has anyone else faced similar issues this year or got any useful tips for me please?

Give them a top entrance to enable the drones to fly, or shake them out.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

They draw out a few frames of foundation which is totally laid up then in a few weeks the brood area has loads of supercedure cells.

I think for some reasons in the last month or so bees have been reluctant to draw comb in our neck of the woods (weird weather is my guess) thus queen runs out of room, swarms induced (loads of 'supersedure' cells suggest this) if the queens have just dissappeared how can you be sure it's not swarming?

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Surely an open QC above and no Q below indicates a swarm? And a need to hope the virgin can get theough the QC.

 

[aberreef]

Thanks guys. If a swarm has gone it would have been very small. Both hives have three brood boxes and two supers in total and are full of bees, no less than before the queen disapeared at least. I've only lost one swarm previously but the difference in the colony was easily recognisable.

There's been plenty of honey being brought in up until this week but the bees have only drawn out 4 frames.

I had high hopes for this season but it's turning into a bit of a disaster so far

 

[jd101k2000]

I'm only a beginner... so my bee counting skills are not great. But I am told that it is very different to spot the difference between:

a) Huge number of bees

b) Huge number of bees minus a swarm.

As I said, I'm only a beginner... but if it smells like it's swarmed and it feels like it's swarmed...

... but I am watching this thread to learn.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I'm only a beginner... so my bee counting skills are not great. But I am told that it is very different to spot the difference between:

a) Huge number of bees

b) Huge number of bees minus a swarm.

As I said, I'm only a beginner... but if it smells like it's swarmed and it feels like it's swarmed...

It is very difficult to judge whether a hive has swarmed or not by the number of bees - one day you look in most fliers could be out foraging, the next day hive swarms, day after you look in and all foragers are at home - net difference in bee population - none.

Had one hive swarm with me last month - it was only when i was halfway through the inspection I caught a queen emerging and a collesction of other QC's - no original queen. waiting for new queen to mate now but in the meantime they are busily filling their second super.

 

[aberreef]

Hmmm, sounds pretty likely they've swarmed then Fingers crossed the virgins start laying soon

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Better get that QE out.