Eggs on Varroa Tray

[Busy Bee]

Hello,

Today I had a look at the varroa tray and was startled to find a number of bee eggs on the tray. I have not seen this before, I would have thought this would happen if they had no stores or it was late in the year with the onset of bad weather.

Could someone shed some light on this, please.

Thank you.


Busy Bee

 

[Somerford]

My best guess would be that they were laid by the queen recently when it got a little warmer yet they died probably due to chilling as the colony contracted again as the cold weather closed in...so the bees were merely cleaning out the dead eggs and they were small enough to drop through the mesh

regards

S

 

[Midland Beek]

Sometimes if a colony overstreches itself and can't keep it warm it might abort brood. And also, these could be unfertilized eggs laid by the queen in drone cells and the bees have decided it is too early to be rearing drones. It is a good idea to get rid of comb that is too droney. Drone comb is for the periphery of the brood nest and is what gets laid up when the colony is stronger.

 

[mbc]

Busy bee, do you have a picture ?
I would say its very unlikely to find any significant number of bee eggs fallen through a mesh floor especially at this time of year as protein is at a premium to the colony and any superfluous eggs would be quickly recycled by being eaten by the bees.

 

[Busy Bee]

Sorry i don't have a picture but there was quite a few eggs seemed to come from the center of the nest but along the middle frame. Colony is quite big I would doubt heat is the problem as it as has been considerably warm here for February.

Busy Bee

 

[Poly Hive]

Is it possible you are mistaking cappings debris for eggs?

Just a thought.

PH

 

[Busy Bee]

Do defo not debris, its eggs - this has me really baffled.

Busy Bee

 

[richardbees]

BB

You've got bloody eyesight!


edited to add

My varroa tray is white!

 

[Busy Bee]

When you know what your looking for its easy to sopt things on the tray and identify them

busy Bee

 

[Mulac]

how old is the queen? perhaps she is overeager, laying multiple eggs in single cells. seen the behaviour early in the year before.

 

[Busy Bee]

The queen is last years queen. Being honest I can't say how good she is as I had some else doing the inspections last year on this hive but I will be taking control of this hive as it is very strong and the other person would be limited in knowing what to look for and spot in a bee hive.

Mmmmm, the way she has built up would suggest she is quite good but seeing is the sign.

Busy Bee

 

[LeaBaileyBees]

Just in case anyone has any new information on this subject since it was originally posted in February, I'd be pleased to hear it.

I was taking a good look through my varroa tray debris yesterday and found eggs on one of the trays. I, too, thought that the egg police would have eaten them if they were unsuitable (drone, or egg laying worker) for rearing, but there they were - verified under the microscope.

Any more/new thoughts on the matter?

Thank you.

 

[Finman]

.
It is so simple that the queen makaes eggs but workers do not feed them.

If the bees are in cluster, may be the queen does not find cleaned cells and the eggs drops down. I have seen sometimes the same and things are OK.

Brood temp is 34C and in cluster it is something 24c.

 

[blackcloud]

Bumped this one up
I've seen this for the first time yesterday
The distribution over the board is similar to that of chalkboard but it's definitely unhatched eggs not larvae
Box is not unduly rammed and there's a good amount of work left to do in the super so I would say laying space isn't too restricted.
I'm wondering if they've spotted a malady before it's taken hold and are doing the hygienic thing.