eggs but no queen?

[jeff33]

It has been discussed here recently but cannot find the thread. I have a hive which swarmed with the virgin from the only queen cell I had left post AS. On inspection today again I cannot find a queen but can see really small patches of open brood and also eggs (single) in a few cells. There are also a couple of charged cells and I found in the super above the Qx 2 frames with a bit of open drone brood + 1 charged cell. I have been looking in that hive for over 2 weeks (with a break in between) and cannot spot a queen or what may look like a queen. I think I may wait for the open brood to be capped to see what is what but I don't have hopes for this hive. I certainly don't want more queens from this line and don't want to risk uniting. If I can't find a queen, is it better to just shake them out once I know if I have worker or drone brood?

 

[B+.]

It has been discussed here recently but cannot find the thread. I have a hive which swarmed with the virgin from the only queen cell I had left post AS. On inspection today again I cannot find a queen but can see really small patches of open brood and also eggs (single) in a few cells. There are also a couple of charged cells and I found in the super above the Qx 2 frames with a bit of open drone brood + 1 charged cell. I have been looking in that hive for over 2 weeks (with a break in between) and cannot spot a queen or what may look like a queen. I think I may wait for the open brood to be capped to see what is what but I don't have hopes for this hive. I certainly don't want more queens from this line and don't want to risk uniting. If I can't find a queen, is it better to just shake them out once I know if I have worker or drone brood?

You can't tell, just by looking at them, if they are worker/drone eggs, so, wait until they are sealed. If you see sealed worker brood, you know that there is a mated queen in there somewhere - you just haven't seen her. If they are sealed drone drone brood, shake them out.

 

[jeff33]

You can't tell, just by looking at them, if they are worker/drone eggs, so, wait until they are sealed. If you see sealed worker brood, you know that there is a mated queen in there somewhere - you just haven't seen her. If they are sealed drone drone brood, shake them out.

That's what I was planning to do Paul. At least if there is worker brood I can spend more time looking for a queen, remove her and unite as I have 6 frames worth of bees (albeit getting on a bit now).

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I bet you it will all turn out to be drone brood

 

[jeff33]

I bet you it will all turn out to be drone brood

Yes, I have that feeling also!!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

had a few more than usual so far this year

 

[jeff33]

had a few more than usual so far this year

I think I may have a 2nd one as well. I also have an early supercedure which is giving me mixed drone/worker brood. She is laying in her 3rd frame now and that will be the decider.

 

[Swarm]

I had one lot up and clear off last Friday, this was four weeks after leaving them one cell. I can't tell you what happened because I was happily letting them get on with it and in no rush to check for a laying queen. There's a nucleus sized colony of bees left but absolutely no brood at all, just a dubious looking, fat cell. I'll look in on Friday and probably reunite with mother by the look of it.

 

[jeff33]

Some real random behaviour going on this year!!

 

[Michael ECB's]

Clear signs........ heart breaking.... I have seen worse,,,,, but this is all I could find with regards to pics...
Hope it helps someone.....
Shook them out and they all went on to be a very productive colony.....

 

[Erichalfbee]

Some real random behaviour going on this year!!

Yes I had a Demaree swarm six weeks after I had set it up

 

[BugsInABox]

I have a hive which swarmed with the virgin from the only queen cell I had left post AS.

Excuse my ignorance but why would you expect a queen in this scenario?

 

[jeff33]

Excuse my ignorance but why would you expect a queen in this scenario?

I could have missed a small queen cell which may have triggered the swarming with the 1st virgin.

 

[jeff33]

Just to double check, the hive to shake out has 6 full frames of bees. I am just wondering if it is not too many bees to beg their way into another hive, likely to be the ones on either side of the original position? Can I remove the hive, replace with a new one with foundation, shake out 10-20 yards away and unite this with a queen right colony in the evening?