Lots of eggs on inspection board?

[dickndoris]

A couple of pictures. This was 24hrs after cleaning the first lot off!

 

[victor meldrew]

Nice to see they're not wasted (feeding to the gulls)
VM


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[dickndoris]

Hi Dick if you say that you have a few drones flying at this time of year then your hive mirrors my hive this time last year, discarded eggs on the inspection tray and a few early drones at the entrance and on my first inspection it was clear the queen was failing not totally but failing.

To me this thread just goes to show that the inspection tray can give a good indication as to what may be happening in the hive at this early time of year without the need of the beekeeper wanting to peek inside.

You may be ok Dick with time on your hands but either way you have options available.

Cheers Tom. I will carry on monitoring then take a quick peek if the weather ever turns! I'm suffering never mind the bees:-\

 

[djg]

dickndoris,

Thanks for the pictures. Very witty !

I wonder whether the eggs would be dumped if you have Neopoll on, rather than fondant, which might permit the bees to raise brood in these extraordinarily unhelpful conditions for foraging ?

 

[Cazza]

They certainly look like eggs.
You just mentioned seeing drones already. I think that changes the picture and makes it more likely that your failing queen scenario is more probable.

It's still a wait and see though.
Cazza

 

[m100]

There's your problem. No forage in a barren wasteland covered in sand, with water as far as the eye can see on the horizon. Start building an ark. York is flooding again.

If you had a clear crownboard you'd be able to observe to some extent what was happening in the hive rather than just looking at the hive debris. You'd almost certanly see a much smaller cluster and less activity than two or three weeks ago. It's quite likely to be a lack of pollen, and a tighter cluster due to the temperatures dropping and bee numbers in the hive still reducing that is leading to the eggs being dumped. At least the bees are numerous and active enough to clean out the mess.

 

[Chris B]

This was 24hrs after cleaning the first lot off!

That's a lot of mess for 24 hours. I'd take that as a positive sign as the bees are working to clean up comb on the edge of the nest. It's too tidy for a mouse to have done it. They do certainly look like eggs - possibly some really old ones which might explain why they aren't being eaten. You didn't put a test frame in late last season by any chance?

 

[itma]

... I have no intension of going into the hive in this cold weather as really I do like to leave the bees to it if I can. They have plenty of fondant on and 40mm of insulation on top of the crown board too. The reason I asked the question was I just have never seen it before as someone rightly said.
The first drones came from this hive. Heard them before I could see them. Big fellows! Only a couple.

Having a see-through crown board can be very helpful, allowing you to see something of what is happening inside WITHOUT actually opening the hive.

I think this weather might be a bit cold for *normal* drone raising to have started about a month ago (if they are flying now).

If I saw rather a lot of drones through the see-through crownboard ... I'd be making different plans.

 

[Chris B]

Would you do this in the traditional way (bb/qx/super) or are you talking about placing a qx on top of an 'open' crown board and adding a super above it Chris?

Wouldn't plonking an empty super directly above a hive with 4-6 frames of brood be a bit iffy?

Just a thought.

Hi,
just traditional way as soon as bees covering 8 or 9 frames. Once they get to that size they really don't have a problem. The newspaper under the supers is a good idea but I personally doubt it makes a massive difference as they'll be into the super very quickly anyway.

 

[itma]

And laying workers, putting drone brood into 'worker size' cells, does result in seriously ravaged comb - with lots of wax debris as a consequence.

See the pic at top of this Beebase page https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/index.cfm?pageid=202


Sorry to be a pessimist, but I'm not hopeful about this one.

 

[susbees]

I've never heard of bees dumping eggs. Eating them maybe. I doubt very much it's eggs you're seeing.

Delete

 

[Hivemaker.]

Another eggs on floor slide photograph.

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=16044&highlight=eggs+floor

 

[beeno]

Hi dickndoris,
Thanks for the pictures. I think the Q has laid more eggs than the workers can cover in a cold snap. Interesting for a newbie to see them on the inspection board though! Not as tasty as we are led to believe? One of my Qs laid right down the bottom of a frame where no bees would cluster. Never thought of looking on the inspection board for them. By the way, this hive had capped brood after the incident which is encouraging for you. What exactly is the 'brown stuff' on the inspection board - brood cappings, chewed up cell walls or cocoon debris? I am not scared to show my ignorance!

 

[dickndoris]

No test frame in this one.
My two wood hives are the only ones with wood crown boards. I much prefer the clear ones for sure and will make some more up if I keep the wood hives.
Lots of ideas. I too have a feeling they might not make it. I will pop over to Deans and see if they have some pollen substitute feed to try.
Thanks for the interest all. Always learning. Yes, the bees do teach you patience

 

[Chris B]

Delete

Well I don't mind admitting it's a new one on me. And by other people's comments it's not unique.

 

[dickndoris]

Another eggs on floor slide photograph.

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=16044&highlight=eggs+floor

Wonder what the outcome was?

I will try and update this post when I know what might be happening.

 

[Hivemaker.]

We don't have small hive beetle .....yet, but the eggs look similar in shape.

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/food/inspection/bees/shb-reportfindings.htm

And fly eggs.
http://www.fotothing.com/ramblipiee/photo/d52da01922d07af3b952e65e4ee299b7/

 

[dickndoris]

We don't have small hive beetle .....yet, but the eggs look similar in shape.

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/food/inspection/bees/shb-reportfindings.htm

And fly eggs.
http://www.fotothing.com/ramblipiee/photo/d52da01922d07af3b952e65e4ee299b7/

? Fly eggs. Are they the same size I wonder? Will put one under the microscope. Might tell me something?

 

[masterBK]

Bees will always remove eggs if there are more eggs/ larvae than they can keep warm and feed. Some they will eat and some they will dump. Have found them on floorboards in the past during a spring clean but the advantage of the insert tray under a mesh floor allows you to find things at all times of the year not just Varroa but also faeces of wax moth and earwigs, wax scales, discarded pollen and various types of harmless mites not forgetting visiting ants carting off the Varroa

 

[richardbees]

dick,
great pics, yes no arguing they do look like discarded eggs

(imho deffo not fly (too big) or ant(too translucent) eggs - and that's ignoring the fact neither insects are active yet).

AND thanks for the seagulls, now added to my screen background menu!