Eggs,sealed brood but no grubs

[rje66]

On first inspection of season, bees flying well and saw queen, was just worried to see sealed brood but no grubs. Is this normal laying ??
Numbers in hive wouldnt be big and sealed brood area wasnt large either. Light and my eyes waSnt great but pretty sure i saw some eggs.
Appreciate any advice.ta

 

[chrisb]

might be queen only just started laying again.
if you have eggs the larvae will be there in 3 days and at 9 days capped at wich time the capped brood should start to emerge

and the cycle begins

 

[Loubylou]

The weather has been very up and down which can effect laying making it sporadic. Hang on in there, wait for a warm day and inspect again....

 

[rje66]

The weather has been very up and down which can effect laying making it sporadic. Hang on in there, wait for a warm day and inspect again....

This is what i thought, just needed reassurance

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes queen has likely taken a break

 

[Finman]

.
Bees are not able to feed larvae. Lack of pollen. Bees cannot fly onto flowers.

Sporadic brood in spring that bees eate part of larvae, when nurser bees are short of protein.

I can see from forecast of Dublin, that temps about 10C, half cloud, rains. No chance to forage.
And wind is bad.

 

[alfazer]

I noticed this too. Was in for first inspection of my only hive last Wednesday, 20/4. Saw the old girl and her sealed brood on 4 frames but no open brood. Then I spotted a patch of eggs, so guess she was just taking a break.
I've been feeding fondant which they were taking down since February. More recently I switched to the occasional jar of thin syrup every few days to encourage them along.
Now, after inspection, I can see they were out of stores. Don't know if that made a difference but they look to be doing well. I have added a frame of stores I had from last season.

I'm wondering is the break in lay anything to do with them running out of stores and then just getting a small feed every 3 or 4 days.

 

[Finman]

I'm wondering is the break in lay anything to do with them running out of stores and then just getting a small feed every 3 or 4 days.

It is lack of protein. And bees cannot rear brood with mere sugar feeding, even if guys here write so.

If a hive has lack of sugar, it is dead.

Willows have bloomed here now one week, but bees cannot come out . They pick only water from soil. They have 3-4 frames capped brood, but no larvae.
Bees have reared the brood with pollen, which was stored in frames.

 

[alfazer]

It is lack of protein. And bees cannot rear brood with mere sugar feeding, even if guys here write so.

This is a good point Finman.
I was aware of how bees need pollen for brood rearing, but never really thought of it as a reason why the queen might not be laying.
If I see no young brood I think, queen not mated, queen dead, queen injured, queen out of sperm, or other queen problem of some sort, but I did not automatically think......no pollen.
Thank you.

 

[Finman]

Beekeepers understand very little about nutrition of bees.

 

[misterbee82]

Think you could possibly have European foul brood or American foul brood? I would check for diseases if you don't see better results soon.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Think you could possibly have European foul brood or American foul brood

Why would you think that?