no queen - help!!

[Ros2710]

Im new to this game - only got one hive and had a nucleus in June last year.

They seemed to be OK but only filled the brood box and wernt interested in the super i put on top last year .

I fed them in September until they didnt take any more and treated them for varroa .
They have been flying recently and bringing in pollen .

I took a good look yesterday and theres not many bees ( perhaps 1 frame )
There are no eggs or brood and no queen.

What do i do now? Do I just leave them die out and get another nucleus?
Can I get a mated queen now or is it the wrong time of year?

Theres also loads of stores.
I would appreciate any advice.

 

[MuswellMetro]

Im new to this game - only got one hive and had a nucleus in June last year.

They seemed to be OK but only filled the brood box and wernt interested in the super i put on top last year .

I fed them in September until they didnt take any more and treated them for varroa .
They have been flying recently and bringing in pollen .

I took a good look yesterday and theres not many bees ( perhaps 1 frame )
There are no eggs or brood and no queen.

What do i do now? Do I just leave them die out and get another nucleus?
Can I get a mated queen now or is it the wrong time of year?

Theres also loads of stores.
I would appreciate any advice.

probably a badley mated queen that turned drone layer or failed to lay due to nosmia, the loss i think can also be cuased by oxalic treatment, but finman disagrees with me, did you use oxalici?

if you have a friendly beek near you could try to obtain a frames of eggs and brood to let them make queen cells, but otherwise it has gone

cypruss queens are avaiable but diffcult to obtain

think you had better call it a day on this one

 

[BKF Admin]

Pollen going in yesterday but no eggs/brood or queen?

 

[Ros2710]

yes - theres pollen going in.

I didnt treat with oxalic acid - i'm afraid i missed doing this (inexperience)

i dont really know anyone i could ask around here for a frame of eggs/brood.

 

[MuswellMetro]

Pollen going in yesterday but no eggs/brood or queen?

Could she be a late starter, some italians are ,but mine are laying..are the bees gold nad black?

 

[Ros2710]

No. they a type of welsh black bee ( thats what the bloke who sold them told me).
Hes a bee inspector so should know.

 

[VEG]

Well get in touch with him and ask for a frame of eggs he can only say no, if he is a bee inspector ask him to have a look.

 

[Ros2710]

well i was thinking of trying that but hes in mid wales and its a bit of a drive up there .
Even if he said ok, would the eggs/brood be ok out of the hive for 4 approx hours?

 

[VEG]

Are you not in a bee association near to you?
I dont hold out much hope for the bees if there is only one frame though

 

[Hivemaker.]

Not enough bee's to do anything with as they will be old and past there sell by date,best to get another nuc or swarm,fumigate or freeze the combs if they are really good one's to kill any stages of wax moth ect. clean up the rest of the hive and start fresh.

PS try and establish yourself with two colonys or more by the end of summer.

 

[Ros2710]

I think i'll get a nucleus for the hive i got.

I alrready have another hive - still in the box -i gotta put it together.
I had big ideas last year when i bought it - thought i'd have loads of bees this year so i could split them and make 2 colonies.

I thought to fix that hive up (well get my husband to fix it up!) and try to attract a swarm perhaps with one of the frames of honey i got.

I didnt know you could freeze comb. What i got looks pretty good to me - they have a few isolated cells around the edge that have gone mouldy. Does that matter?

 

[Hivemaker.]

No Ros a bit of mold on the comb won't hurt,bee's soon clean that up,freezing combs will preserve them well until needed,hope you get some more bee's soon and have better luck with them.

 

[oliver90owner]

Ros2710,

attract a swarm perhaps with one of the frames of honey i got

Use a frame (or more) by all means, but do not use one with honey in it. It will simply be robbed out by other bees and may be a route for passing on, or receiving, disease spores.

Yes, the frames will be OK in a freezer. It will prevent granulation occuring.

Regards, RAB

 

[Ros2710]

I have found the e mail of my local bee association and sent them a plea for help.
I 'm off to my bed now.
Thanks for all advice