I'm a little worried. But not overly so.

[monoenduro]

I opened my three hives today. One is new from a swarm about a month ago. The second is from last year's swarm and the third is the original hive and I'm presuming it's the old Queen.

The oldest one is rammed with bees. Workers and males as you'd expect. Capped well advanced brood but no new eggs. Lots of honey for this time of year.

Last year's swarm is also rammed with males and females. A few well advanced brood but no fresh eggs.

The new hive is rammed as well. Full of brood of all ages but not so many fresh eggs.

Now we've had some very strange weather. Really cold, really hot. It's not normal.

So, I suppose the question is, is it normal for the queen/hive to produce fewer if any new bees on occasion or should I be worried that the queen/s are no more.

I'd welcome your views.

Rob, Les Vosges.

 

[ericbeaumont]

oldest one is rammed with bees

Last year's swarm is also rammed

new hive is rammed as well.

Likely under-boxed and Q's ran out of laying space; expect them to have swarmed. Did you see QCs or remains?

Lots of honey for this time of year.

Not really, quite routine: how many boxes do these 3 have?

 

[monoenduro]

Likely under-boxed and Q's ran out of laying space; expect them to have swarmed. Did you see QCs or remains?


Not really, quite routine: how many boxes do these 3 have?

Two supes on each of the older hives. Top super on each were not really being used. The new one now has a super.

Found no queen cells. Which I am surprised at.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Found no queen cells

Could be in-between queens; I'd hoick out and extract some of those brood frames, to give space and establish whether you have laying queens or virgins. Put them back straight away.

In a heavy flow bees sometimes ram the BBs with nectar and ignore the supers above.

 

[user 819]

How often do you inspect them ?
Typically one would have three or even more supers on the colonies, however depends on the hive type being used.
Here in the UK my gerden hive is on three BB's & seven supers , the third super the Q has ignored and it is back filled all with stores. The seven supers are all fairly full or filling up , jsu waiting for them to cap some to remove it.