Missing larva

[Forester Doug]

My newly mated mail order queen has been in situ for 1 month now, she is laying, but perhaps not as well as I'd have hoped, there also currently seem to be a lack of the larva stage, though there is both capped brood and eggs, what could the explanation for this be?

 

[Erichalfbee]

My newly mated mail order queen has been in situ for 1 month now, she is laying, but perhaps not as well as I'd have hoped, there also currently seem to be a lack of the larva stage, though there is both capped brood and eggs, what could the explanation for this be?

Brood break?
Lack of pollen at one stage?
That’s what I would bet on.

 

[Forester Doug]

What is a brood break? I thought the poor weather and time of year could be factors

 

[Swarm]

Brood break is when the queen stops laying for different reasons as above. Mine usually take a rest sometime after the Summer flow ends before picking up again as Autumn begins to draw in, usually some time in August.

 

[Forester Doug]

Is that something a newly mated queen would still do?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Is that something a newly mated queen would still do?

It’s not up to her. If there are no or few resources to feed larvae the bees won’t raise any. Now I don’t know whether the queen stops laying or she continues and the house bees remove the eggs. Does anybody know? I suspect the latter but I might be wrong. I often am

 

[fiat500bee]

I might be wrong. I often am

..then you're the only one on here who ever is wrong...

 

[smitten]

It’s not up to her. If there are no or few resources to feed larvae the bees won’t raise any. Now I don’t know whether the queen stops laying or she continues and the house bees remove the eggs. Does anybody know? I suspect the latter but I might be wrong. I often am

I thought all other things being equal, if they want more eggs they feed the queen more and if they want fewer eggs they feed her less? Doesn't stop then removing unwanted eggs, of course.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I thought all other things being equal, if they want more eggs they feed the queen more and if they want fewer eggs they feed her less? Doesn't stop then removing unwanted eggs, of course.

Yes. On reflection I considered that after posting. If there is no pollen they can't feed the queen much so she will stop laying. Maybe it's both. Anyway, brood breaks happen

 

[Patrick1]

What is a brood break? I thought the poor weather and time of year could be factors

Try a protein pattie and syrup, she should spring into action, if the brood is patchy or drone you need to requeen or let the bees do it.