Giving up on the Virgin

[JohnyP]

She doesn't look like a fat "ready for action" kinda girl and she's been in the nuc for nearly a month now with no sign of lift off. How much longer do I wait? I've been feeding for a week now in an effort to get things going...

 

[midnight sun]

She doesn't look like a fat "ready for action" kinda girl and she's been in the nuc for nearly a month now with no sign of lift off. How much longer do I wait? I've been feeding for a week now in an effort to get things going...

Have you tried putting a frame of brood (eggs and larvae) in from another colony. That sometimes triggers the 'motherly' response?

 

[snelgrove]

a month is along time without coming into lay, even if she starts laying chances are she might turn into a drone layer later.

 

[JohnyP]

Thanks MS I'll give it a go

 

[oliver90owner]

Getting mated will trigger her to lay. She will lay eventually as a drone layer, if not mated,unless she has some other problem, such as being nosemic.

 

[midnight sun]

a month is along time without coming into lay, even if she starts laying chances are she might turn into a drone layer later.

I must admit it's pushing it a bit. Maybe worth a try if there is any chance rather than start from scratch time wise I thought. ie frame of eggs to layer roughly 25 days+?

 

[Tremyfro]

I absolutely know how you are feeling.
I have two nucs which made queens from queen cells and took 21 days to emerge...get mated...and start laying eggs. Both now have several frames of capped brood.
Another Nuc and the Long Hive ....both assembled about the same time.....the Long Hive Queen seen at the 21 day point but the Nuc Queen only seen after 40 days.....both lovely fat long queens...no eggs seen yet. Big difference. I'm sticking with it. The Nuc has already been given a frame of brood. The Long Hive is scheduled to receive one tomorrow. Luckily I can combine if necessary...but still hoping these Queens will make the grade.

 

[drex]

In the same position with three colonies, for me it is just over four weeks. Added test frames. No QCs. Did not stimulate laying either. One colony is a nuc . Queen just disappeared, no QCs, did not lose any bees.
I think it is the weather. Often there is little activity from any of my hives. All appear healthy.

 

[BrianO]

Feel your pain !!

3 splits hived in Polynucs

Each formed with frame with sealed QC. All emerged , 3 weeks now , checked Thursday before left for hols yesterday, 2 no sign of queens no brood, 3rd... no brood small queen.

Original parent colony, that had split had left with a charged queen cell as well, ( Yup had lost swarm originally ... Work.. Life....pressures didn't get to that Apiary, missed inspection ) small newly emerged queen in this also, no brood

So took a chance, from other hives, ( of course who are intent on Swarming and stressing me further !! . ) Added frame of brood and single developing QC on each to each of... Presumed... queenless Polynucs where could see no queen in...

With my luck here's guessing I missed the queens in these and I lose a swarm from both when queens emerge !!!

And I thought relationships were complicated !!!

 

[Tremyfro]

All of my queens are big and fat...so I think they are mated. I wonder why they are delayed in starting? They were queen cells on the 7 and 11th of May. The weather of course was appalling during that time. I am going to give them more time but eventually will have to call the shots!

 

[oliver90owner]

Let me be more specific. Adding a frame (or as many as you may like) of brood of any description will not make the queen lay.

 

[Finman]

Let me be more specific. Adding a frame (or as many as you may like) of brood of any description will not make the queen lay.

It is weather which does not allow mating flights. Why don't you try rain dance of Indians.

In my country classical trick in farming is, that if it is too dry, start to do hay works. It will rain next day.

It is strange that beeks not not approve single facts in queen mating.

The most stupid advice is: Be patient, even if biological time gap is closed.

.

 

[Tremyfro]

Let me be more specific. Adding a frame (or as many as you may like) of brood of any description will not make the queen lay.

The main reason for adding a frame ...for me...is the ensure there are enough bees to look after brood when she does start to lay....otherwise surely, she will only be able to lay what can be looked after....so it would slow down the growth of the Nuc. The way I am headed ATM is to combine with one of the other nucs which has a laying queen. So donated bees won't be wasted.
I would so like for these two queens to lay.....

 

[Finman]

.
If you want to add bees in a nuc, you should add a frame of emerging brood. To add larva frame is not a good idea. It's developing takes 3 weeks. When the new queen starts to lay, it needs every free cell in the nuc.

 

[Finman]

.

Lets look Somerset forecast. Good temps but stormy. About 20C is warm enough, but strong wind may hinder mating flights.

 

[masterBK]

A few years ago I went to the heather and several colonies came back in early september having replaced their queens by supersedure. These new queens did not lay before winter and I was worried about it . However in the spring they were all laying and by April the colonies had caught up with the others. I conclude that once mated they can go for weeks or months before laying if circumstances warrant it. Once the weather improves I think some of these queens mentioned in this strand will begin to lay perfectly Ok so patience is called for. In the meantime source a supply of queens as a standby just in case.

 

[Finman]

.
There are 2 ways to keep bees, to act according knowledge and the another way is trust on good luck.
.

 

[mbc]

.
There are 2 ways to keep bees,
.

Finmans way or the wrong way

 

[Tremyfro]

Well...I have opted to wait for my queens to start laying. When it becomes really urgent and the colony starts to die...then I will combine with another hive. I have lots of queens...part of the reason for making the nucs in the first place was to have spare queens. I am sure eventually they will be fine.
Interestingly.....the queen in the Nuc wasn't seen for 6 weeks after the Nuc was assembled....she appeared after adding an extra frame of bees. They didn't make any queen cells on the frame. I had felt all along there was a queen as the Nuc was quiet and the bees were docile. Then there she was...all beautiful black and fat.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Let me be more specific. Adding a frame (or as many as you may like) of brood of any description will not make the queen lay.

Agreed.

if the weather has been 20C for a couple of days - then she should have mated. If you have other queens that have mated in the intervening time between her emergence and now, then she might never mate.