Inspection advice please!

[steve56616]

Just done an inspection and if I write what I have seen I hope to have some coments good/bad etc.

Main Hive in order of frames from front to back:
1, Dummy Board
2, Part drawn comb
3,Honey/ Pollen
4, BIAS
5, BIAS
6, BIAS plus Queen. 2 - 3 capped Drone cells
7, 1/2 capped 1/ larvae
8, Part drawn foundation
9, Foundation
10, Honey, some capped
11, Foundation
12, Foundation

NUC with new imported mated queen (2weeks old)

1, BIAS
2, BIAS
3, Capped brood plus 3 open Queen cells, one on 1 side (with egg) two on other side top and middle (empty).
4, 1/2 frame Honey other side Drawn foundation
5, Part Drawn foundation
6, Foundation

No queen in sight but lots of eggs so queen must be there. I did see her last inspection after removal of queen cage.

 

[steve56616]

Regarding the nuc. From my understanding these seem like emergency cells but my confusion is so many new eggs laid and one in the queen cup?

 

[Cazza]

Regarding the nuc. From my understanding these seem like emergency cells but my confusion is so many new eggs laid and one in the queen cup?

If they are empty or just have an egg in them they are nothing to worry about at present. If they are charged (with royal jelly +brood) then this means something.

Does the nuc have enough stores if the weather is poor? Do you need to feed it?
Cazza

 

[steve56616]

Thanks Cazza. So I asume if I have eggs the queen must be there or at least she was 3 days ago. I am feeding nuc 1:1

 

[rugbee]

i agree with the last guy, but i only reply to say that your discription is showing a lack of stores and they both need feeding, next time a quick check on the nuc and try to resist messing too much and feed again if req, if in doubt always feed.

 

[Cazza]

Thanks Cazza. So I asume if I have eggs the queen must be there or at least she was 3 days ago. I am feeding nuc 1:1

Yep. If you see eggs, no need to search for queenie.
C
P.s Rugbee, the last guy is a girlie.

 

[yeogi75]

hi steve couple of questions
(1) how long have you had you hive
(2) what sort of frames are you using
(3) have you taken any frames from your hive to make your nuc

terry

 

[steve56616]

hi steve couple of questions
(1) how long have you had you hive
(2) what sort of frames are you using
(3) have you taken any frames from your hive to make your nuc

terry

Hi Terry

I took frames from hive, 2 brood, 2 stores , one built comb and added two foundation with new mated queen.

 

[yeogi75]

that explains the lack of brood and stores, as been said feed nuc and hive, but only mix one pint and give hive two thirds and nuc the rest, don't go mad with feed as you are only giving them a start not winter feed , what sort of frames have you got in your hive eleven Hoffman's will fill national and you have eleven plus dummy

ive had mine since june and are on double brood 7 bias bottom five bias top box

 

[steve56616]

that explains the lack of brood and stores, as been said feed nuc and hive, but only mix one pint and give hive two thirds and nuc the rest, don't go mad with feed as you are only giving them a start not winter feed , what sort of frames have you got in your hive eleven Hoffman's will fill national and you have eleven plus dummy

ive had mine since june and are on double brood 7 bias bottom five bias top box

frames from the origial nuc I bought are slightly slimmer so I have 11 frames in but enough space for one dummy board so left it in also hense why there are 12 frames in total

 

[beeno]

Hi Steve...
Some guru, I cannot remember where I read it, suggests that a queen in those circumstances will be at risk until she has her own nurse bees. This is when I would say that the bees don't know what they are doing. I would get rid of the QCs, if they indeed develop, and if you are happy with your mated queen's laying pattern, particularly so early in the season! Shoot me down!!!

 

[Swarm]

12 Hoffman frames will fit in a National. It's only to make things easier that 11 are used with a dummyboard.

 

[steve56616]

Hi Steve...
Some guru, I cannot remember where I read it, suggests that a queen in those circumstances will be at risk until she has her own nurse bees. This is when I would say that the bees don't know what they are doing. I would get rid of the QCs, if they indeed develop, and if you are happy with your mated queen's laying pattern, particularly so early in the season! Shoot me down!!!

Hi Beeno

Her laying pattern seems good to me. There is also lots of young larvae which I asume must be hers going by the size of them, so she seems to have been accepted ok. I did take a chance as she is a 'Carni' queen in a Buckfast colony

 

[oliver90owner]

First hive seems like a cavern for the bees. Dummy needs to be a divider and placed somewhere useful.

The second appears that they may be trying to supercede. So beeno is probably right, unless the queen has been damaged...

 

[steve56616]

First hive seems like a cavern for the bees. Dummy needs to be a divider and placed somewhere useful.

The second appears that they may be trying to supercede. So beeno is probably right, unless the queen has been damaged...

If the queen had been damaged would she be laying so much?

 

[oliver90owner]

I made no comment on lay rate; I merely agreed with what Beeno had suggested and supplied a further possibility for any supercedure.

New beeks going into colonies too often will always run more risk of damaging the queen than those with more experience who rduce interfence to a minimum. It is a possibility for any beek, but more so for the newbie. As such, that suggestion is simply another possibility. We are all guessing here.

 

[steve56616]

I made no comment on lay rate; I merely agreed with what Beeno had suggested and supplied a further possibility for any supercedure.

New beeks going into colonies too often will always run more risk of damaging the queen than those with more experience who rduce interfence to a minimum. It is a possibility for any beek, but more so for the newbie. As such, that suggestion is simply another possibility. We are all guessing here.

I don't understand you saying new beeks going in to often!!! Isn't 7 - 10 day inspections about right?
Im a 47 yr old man not a 17 yr old boy who can't keep away from playing and delving in lol
I can also be quite confiden't I didn't harm her on my last inspection as I saw exactly where she was.

 

[beeno]

AND it was going so well oliver!

 

[oliver90owner]

AND it was going so well oliver!

All I said was:- As such, that suggestion is simply another possibility.

I don't see any reference/connection to the beek apart from being a newbie. All I did was put forward another hypothesis. Nothing more. If the OP is unwilling to read the post at face value, I cannot be held responsible.

The other colony is still a cavern in my opinion. No change there, either.

 

[steve56616]

AND it was going so well oliver!

All I said was:- As such, that suggestion is simply another possibility.

I don't see any reference/connection to the beek apart from being a newbie. All I did was put forward another hypothesis. Nothing more. If the OP is unwilling to read the post at face value, I cannot be held responsible.

I think wording needs to be thought through before posting from some people sometimes.
Some comments on this forum can sound very patronising at times. No one should feel worried about asking for advice even if they have done something wrong! (although I don't think I have done anything wrong yet!).As new beekeepers we are learning, and surely by taking the time, thought and money to go into this expensive hobby is a good thing for our bees and advise should always be given wisely and politely?