Eggs stuck to side / two eggs in cell?

[BernardBlack]

Queen in hive, plenty of sealed brood, larvae and eggs. Good laying pattern, but a few cells (about 10) have two eggs and the odd cell had an egg stuck to the side.

Queen is last years. Any thoughts?

 

[Jafer2]

Sounds like a queen nearly past her time? But also ive head its possible due to disease? Im sure ive read it somewhere... early signs of old queen? You sure she is last years?

 

[BernardBlack]

Sounds like a queen nearly past her time? But also ive head its possible due to disease? Im sure ive read it somewhere... early signs of old queen? You sure she is last years?

Well, might have been a 2016 Queen overwintered. But was started into a fresh hive last year.

 

[enrico]

I had one last year that was laying multiple eggs in cells for weeks. The hive never really took off and I would have requeened her if I had had a spare one but same queen this spring and she has gone into overdrive. The hive is really strong. Sometimes an imature queen needs a while to get things right. Sometimes an old queen takes a while to get going too.usually the workers move the eggs around. Just keep an eye on her but personally I wouldn't worry too much!

 

[Swarm]

 

[BernardBlack]

I had one last year that was laying multiple eggs in cells for weeks. The hive never really took off and I would have requeened her if I had had a spare one but same queen this spring and she has gone into overdrive. The hive is really strong. Sometimes an imature queen needs a while to get things right. Sometimes an old queen takes a while to get going too.usually the workers move the eggs around. Just keep an eye on her but personally I wouldn't worry too much!

Yeah I knew newly mated queens laying can be erratic at first. And I thought maybe as it's spring, this queens laying may have been erratic as she's beginning to lay again.

If a queen was declining due to age, would egg laying suddenly cease or would it be a gradual decline?

 

[Jafer2]

Yeah I knew newly mated queens laying can be erratic at first. And I thought maybe as it's spring, this queens laying may have been erratic as she's beginning to lay again.

If a queen was declining due to age, would egg laying suddenly cease or would it be a gradual decline?

should be a gradual decline and youll see more drone laying due to less sperm.

a good video on it, watch all episodes, first one is about abnormal queen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ffwt81dEtk

usually if the workers sense an issue they would supersede the queen.

 

[Teemore]

Queen in hive, plenty of sealed brood, larvae and eggs. Good laying pattern, .

Queen is last years.

That sounds OK.

IF there was a problem with your Queen, what can you do at present to mitigate? Very little is the likely answer unless you have another mated and laying queen to hand. Introductions could be problematic at this time of the year also..... I know this may come across as harsh but hold off fretting about an extra egg or two. From your other posts you appear to have other more immediate concerns in relation to varroa load and this could ultimately have an impact on how well the queen lays.

 

[beeno]

Hi Bernard, Another theory may be that the hive may be a bit short of house bees, as it is spring, to carry out 'worker policing' to get rid of all the eggs laid by laying workers as there is always a small complement of those in any hive.