i have a queen i bought

[Cuckmere couple]

online in april

the colony has had a steady 4 frames of brood (and space) for two months now

am deciding she isnt up to it

I also now have a late June swarm with a q that has laid 5 frames of brood in a week

intend to unite via newspaper this weekend onto a double brood and then add super as there is a flow on

correct?

 

[Erichalfbee]

I might be tempted to consolidate into one brood box giving me 9 frames of brood and whack on two supers. Keep the extra drawn brood frames in the freezer

 

[jeff33]

Are you sure your queen 'isn' t up to it'? Is the colony too small to be able to care for more brood? Has it got enough flyers to bring in enough pollen, have you checked varroa load? Have you got a 3 frames nuc box to put her in there with a frame of brood, bees and feed?

 

[Hivemaker.]

Or...Nosema Ceranae.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Or...Nosema Ceranae.

Good point
Have you checked CC ?

 

[jeff33]

It seems to be the norm for a lot of people to change a queen without really looking closely at a hive to assess why they may not be building well... They listen to Finman far too much

 

[Cuckmere couple]

all good points

varroa load is low...no evident nosema....9 seams of bees as merged a couple of colonies some time back

but

will move her to a nuc and see...good point...then merge with swarm...and prob into one bb

 

[Hivemaker.]

varroa load is low...no evident nosema.

Have you examined a sample of about ten older bees guts under a microscope?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Google Randy Olivers Quick Squash method for checking for nosema

 

[Cuckmere couple]

no i havent

i have had a colony die through nosema and have some limited experience of nosemea versus normal poop

have fed with thymol tincture too so not seen a problem elsewhere

q and bees look healthy..just a static 4 frames of brood

 

[Hivemaker.]

no i havent
i have had a colony die through nosema and have some limited experience of nosemea versus normal poop

They don't have any dysentery/poop problems with Nosema Ceranae, they have a lack of older foragers to help the colony build up, if a queen gets it then it affects her ovaries and egg laying.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Bees infected with N ceranae do not have dysentery. They just dwindle away. You should check

 

[Bakerbee]

Out of interest for learning. Can you treat them if its this type of nosema c ?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Out of interest for learning. Can you treat them if its this type of nosema c ?

Yes
Good thread on it here
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=24174&highlight=Tom+bick+nosema

 

[Bakerbee]

Thanks ericA