I can see my queen but......

[PeteL]

.....no eggs, no larvae and no capped brood.

I did my first proper inspection yesterday and found the marked queen, not a huge amount of adult bees and plenty of stores (honey and pollen) but the queen has clearly stopped laying a few weeks ago. I assume that because of the lack of eggs and larvae that there is no chance that the colony could start 'making' a new queen. I only have this one colony so I can't steal a frame of brood from elsewhere. I have seen another thread and there seemed to be a few other people also reporting that their queens had stopped laying. So, is it risky to wait much longer? Without intervention, and if she doesn't start laying soon then I assume that the colony is a gonner.

 

[bjosephd]

Doesn't sound promising

I am a relative newby so I am no oracle but...

Sounds like you need a new mated queen asap or a frame of freshly laid eggs from a local beek so they can raise a queen (once you have removed your failing queen so they are very clear about being queenless).

However, if you have very few adult bees then things might be a struggle and you might be already at the beginning of the dreaded dwindle. You need enough adult bees to raise brood and keep the house in order and forage.

If you have enough to make up a nuc then then you've probably got more hope.

Or else it's time to order a new nuc maybe

I think badly mated queens from last 'summer' are now beginning to show themselves as they have run out of laying capacity through the winter... interesting that your queen seems to not even be laying drones. Hmmm...

Aaaanyway... I am a newby so it'll be interesting to see what the mega-beeks on here have to say and advise.

They'll probably want to know first off how many seams of adult bees you've got for starters to see if you have something viable to reboot.

Good luck... I will watch and listen with hope and anticipation.

BJD

 

[Finman]

.
I bet that nosema has spoiled the Queen.
Bees are so old, that they have no Value. And if it has nosema do not join them to another colony. Just a quess

 

[raynbow]

Hi

Where abouts in worcestershire are you?
might be able to sort you out a frame with eggs if you not to far away
regards

 

[Sadders]

I had similar problems last year. I requeened and she didn't lay. The colony dwindled until a rogue sheep saw the rest of them off.

I suspect disease possibly nosema.

In the end I picked up a swarm from a friend and put them in fresh kit. Doing well.

 

[Cussword]

Hi

Where abouts in worcestershire are you?
might be able to sort you out a frame with eggs if you not to far away
regards

See, that's what makes this forum so great! People who don't know each other try to help.

Nice one!

.

 

[Erichalfbee]

See, that's what makes this forum so great! People who don't know each other try to help.

Nice one!

.

THAT is so true. This is a great community, rude and crude at times but great nevertheless.

All of us should be overwintering a spare nuc to help folk out in the following Spring. I know I will.....

 

[PeteL]

Thanks to everyone for your kind and knowledgeable replies, and special thanks for the offer of a frame of brood. General consensus seems to be nosema so I think I might take the 'do nothing' option and see if the colony collapses. If it does, I'll tidy up and 'disinfect' as appropriate and start again. Joy.

 

[Finman]

Thanks to everyone for your kind and knowledgeable replies, and special thanks for the offer of a frame of brood. General consensus seems to be nosema so I think I might take the 'do nothing' option and see if the colony collapses. If it does, I'll tidy up and 'disinfect' as appropriate and start again. Joy.

It is waste of brood frame, if you give that. Makes no sense if it is nosema.

Last year I had a case where nosema killed 2 times the workers what I gove to the dwindling colony.
Finally the queen got nosema and it was able to lay 2 frames. Then it made 3 queens, and me the idiot, took those virgins. When I read about nosema resistant bee strains.
That is really worst thing to take daugters from such colony. Oh dear!

I got that queen from professional beekeeper and I thought that it has special genes. .. Far from that.
.