How Long do I leave it.

[Margaret Elisabeth]

I am not sure if my queen made it back from her jaunt with the boys and has not got into a good laying pattern yet, due to the girls filling every available bit of comb with nectar and pollen or if I have a laying worker. ? How long do you think I should leave things to see if they improve before deciding on a new queen or reuniting? bearing in mind I have an exposed site in Yorkshire.

 

[JEP]

If the eggs are fairly concentrated then it is the queen who is laying it can take them a week or two to really get going well, you will know as soon as the larvae are close to being capped over, if they are drones then you have laying workers.

 

[Margaret Elisabeth]

If the eggs are fairly concentrated then it is the queen who is laying it can take them a week or two to really get going well, you will know as soon as the larvae are close to being capped over, if they are drones then you have laying workers.

Thanks Jep. they are concentrated in small patches of similar sized larvae. I am not good at spotting eggs. Most of the larvae I have seen are quite small and are laying nicely in the cells its just not in a nice layered pattern. I wanted to be quickly in and out of the brood box as I had disrupted them quite a bit by stealing honey and there was a huge queu building up at the front door not to mention the thousands that were getting curious about this mad woman ripping the roof off and raiding the larder. while sprinkling white sweet stuff all over the shop.

 

[Arfermo]

What on earth are you wasting icing sugar for during an ordinary excursion into the hive? Absolutly pointless. Smoke or fine water if you need anything at all for a quickie providing you are properly dressed of course. Dear oh dear.

 

[clv101]

Absolutly pointless.

I think that's a little strong. There is evidence that sugar dusting does dislodge a useful proportion of phoretic mites:
http://scientificbeekeeping.com/pow...weet-and-safe-but-does-it-really-work-part-1/

 

[Elaine]

I am not sure if my queen made it back from her jaunt with the boys and has not got into a good laying pattern yet, due to the girls filling every available bit of comb with nectar and pollen or if I have a laying worker. ? How long do you think I should leave things to see if they improve before deciding on a new queen or reuniting? bearing in mind I have an exposed site in Yorkshire.

I have noticed that for some of my slpits/swarms, when there was a real flow going, nectar and pollen were being stored in patches on the central frames, and eggs were being layed wherever there was space. As the bees have drawn the outer frames, and stores have been used, the laying pattern has become more 'text-book' - so unless you have evidence of a problem - I'd leave them to it until you see a problem,

 

[beeno]

I have noticed that for some of my slpits/swarms, when there was a real flow going, nectar and pollen were being stored in patches on the central frames, and eggs were being layed wherever there was space. As the bees have drawn the outer frames, and stores have been used, the laying pattern has become more 'text-book' - so unless you have evidence of a problem - I'd leave them to it until you see a problem,

Hi Elaine,
Same here!

 

[Erichalfbee]

There is evidence that sugar dusting does dislodge a useful proportion of phoretic mites:
]

Where does this sugar end up?
In your honey?....or is it of little consequence as so little is used?
Just wondering