Is it the weather?

[thorn]

In June I put a cast in a polynuc. The queen mated, and laid well. I marked her.
Today when I checked the nuc out, there was the queen, with a good sized colony, but no brood or eggs.
Isn't it a bit early for her to stop laying?
And no, I haven't used Maqs in the nuc.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Today when I checked the nuc out, there was the queen, with a good sized colony, but no brood or eggs.
Isn't it a bit early for her to stop laying?

No, well not here it is not, around 85% have no brood at all, full size colonies, nucs, and even some of the mini nucs, all kicks off again here when they start to forage pollen from the ivy.

 

[alldigging]

Is there room to lay?

 

[Plenty of honey]

In June I put a cast in a polynuc. The queen mated, and laid well. I marked her.
Today when I checked the nuc out, there was the queen, with a good sized colony, but no brood or eggs.
Isn't it a bit early for her to stop laying?
And no, I haven't used Maqs in the nuc.

Interesting. I have nucs and hives exactly the same and i think its just down to the lack of food. I am talking about 3 three weeks ago here, and most in the uk are experiencing the start of the the ivy flow.

I found many colonies at the end of August, well populated, not much stores, queens and a very small amount of the last of brood hatching out, but no new eggs or larvae anywhere.
All change now, and bees are busy gathering pollen and nectar from the ivy and brood is reappearing, thankfully.
You might have a queen who's really running the roost and thinking of population versus stores and not laying because of this reason. I would say if theres a queen there, its quite normal we get this every year, usually August is our dearth!!
Obviously it could be your queen has died and a new one hasn't been forthcoming! Like Snellgrove says swarming is a method of rerqueening.!

 

[Islandbees]

Something similar has happened to me up in north west Scotland. The queens have not completely stopped laying but have seriously slowed down. The bees also seem to be filling the odd empty cells on a brood frame with stores too (this was before they were fed). I was concerned but both my hives and 4 association hives are doing the same??

 

[beeno]

They are waiting for the Ivy flow. A couple of mine have just started laying again.

 

[Into the lions den]

Something similar has happened to me up in north west Scotland. The queens have not completely stopped laying but have seriously slowed down. The bees also seem to be filling the odd empty cells on a brood frame with stores too (this was before they were fed). I was concerned but both my hives and 4 association hives are doing the same??

This is completely normal. All our main hives are now without brood or the last of it is hatching out. Only ones still laying appreciably and with much in the way of brood are the young queens and nucs, in particualr those in the lower sheltered areas working balsam.

Other posters mention ivy. This is NEVER a thing of any significance in our part of Scotland. Occasional late pollen on warm autumn days, otherwise its a non event, but then there is far less ivy here than much further south where it is all over the place and even a major hedgerow plant.

 

[snelgrove]

This is completely normal. All our main hives are now without brood or the last of it is hatching out. Only ones still laying appreciably and with much in the way of brood are the young queens and nucs, in particualr those in the lower sheltered areas working balsam.

Other posters mention ivy. This is NEVER a thing of any significance in our part of Scotland. Occasional late pollen on warm autumn days, otherwise its a non event, but then there is far less ivy here than much further south where it is all over the place and even a major hedgerow plant.

I agree, ivy is not a major source of nectar here and no way a reason to add supers as mentioned in some posts. Autumn is a time for preparation, the better colonies go into the winter, the better they are in the spring. Even though this is dismissed by certain individuals

 

[bees knees]

If no laying now is normal, how will I know if my newly hatched q has mated?

 

[Into the lions den]

If no laying now is normal, how will I know if my newly hatched q has mated?

Trickle feed it a little every few days then have a look after a week or so. No eggs and then you probably have an issue. If it is strong and there are no eggs you still have time to bump off the VQ and add a mated queen (but only just) otherwise you are getting into 'wait till spring and see what you have left' territory.

Despite very optimistic statements elsewhere, it really is the total dog days of the season and an unmated queen now is likely to remain so.

This is a freaky year though, and the week ahead's weather could give an unnaturally late window. Heather nectar on 26th Sept? Last I ever saw appreciable amounts before was 12th. So you never know.

 

[bees knees]

Thanks ItLD.