Not laying

[Tindog]

Thoughts on this would be appreciated.
One of my hives which I took as a swarm last year is looking pretty weak. It is in a national hive with plenty of stores on board. I have seen the queen but as yet she is not laying so the bees that are left, which are bringing in pollen in abundance, are clearly the last of the winter bees and will soon die off.
Do I leave it to its own devices and see what happens. Donate a frame of brood and eggs from another stronger hive or unite what bees are left (about two frames worth) with another colony. The bees were treated for varroa last autumn with Apiguard.
My initial thought is to just leave them and see what happens. The queen was fairly productive last year (June swarm).
Regards
Tindog.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Thoughts on this would be appreciated.
One of my hives which I took as a swarm last year is looking pretty weak. It is in a national hive with plenty of stores on board. I have seen the queen but as yet she is not laying so the bees that are left, which are bringing in pollen in abundance, are clearly the last of the winter bees and will soon die off.
Do I leave it to its own devices and see what happens. Donate a frame of brood and eggs from another stronger hive or unite what bees are left (about two frames worth) with another colony. The bees were treated for varroa last autumn with Apiguard.
My initial thought is to just leave them and see what happens. The queen was fairly productive last year (June swarm).
Regards
Tindog.

Doesn't really sound worth merging. But they'd do better in a poly nuc if you have one.

 

[enrico]

I would add a frame of eggs and brood. It may kickstart the queen or they may make queen cells.
It isn't practical to do but I would still do it just to see what happens! It all adds to experience for future events
E

 

[viridens]

Try some eggs. There's no way of knowing how old that swarm queen may be, and she may just have run out of steam. This strategy will give them the chance to supercede if they wish.

 

[Anduril]

The queen may be nosemic.

 

[Tindog]

Thanks for that.
May try a frame of eggs AND drop them into my poly nuc.
Re nosimic queen. Although it is a posdibility I have always fed Hivemakers recipie for thymolated syrup in the autumn to my hives and to date have never had an issue with nosima. But, again, it is possible.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

If you're very worried, something I learned on here which has worked well for me is to drench with heavily-thymolated syrup to help clear nosema. Not sure if it works if it is in the Q, but see my strapline...

 

[john t]

is it crammed full of stores ? dose she have room to lay ? also the weather has not been great

what i have done in the past, remove a frame and replace with foundation, and feed syrup,this gives them something to do and stimulates laying,then recheck in a weeks time

 

[Finman]

.
If some queen does not lay this time of year, something wrong is in it then . What you can do with it is to squeeze it at once, and do not believe that it becomes better.

Queen problems in spring is quite usual.

I killed yesterday one Queen, and I got a spare Queen from a colony, which had only cupful of bees. I do not look many hours a Queen, which do not lay.

 

[drex]

Sorry Finman, but on recent inspection, all my queens had had a brood break. It has been cold and wet, and a late spring. Little pollen in some hives. Capped brood and a few eggs. Weather much improved and they are now laying well.

 

[Finman]

Sorry Finman, but on recent inspection, all my queens had had a brood break. It has been cold and wet, and a late spring. Little pollen in some hives. Capped brood and a few eggs. Weather much improved and they are now laying well.

.

Brood break and do not start to lay are very different things, and beekeepers undersrtant that. But wait and wait is not a good method in beekeeping.

I have got during last two days first pollen. Queens started to lay really much.

We have abnormally warm here and I am in a hurry to set up pollen patty and terrarium heaters. Yersterday it was 17C.
Patty quarantees that bees can rear their eggs to pupae. Weathers can turn to winter whenever.

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