Poorly mated queen?

[Bakerbee]

Hi all. Im really not sire whats going on with one of my hives. It swarmed early in the spring, i caught it, house the swarm and they are doing fine. Its the original hive left to raise a queen that got me perplexed. Its a double brood and i knocked back all qc except one then went away on holiday during may. I assumed all would be ticking along nicely once i got back. Well when the weather allowed me to inspect, after my hol around 1st june i could see capped brood but no eggs. The capped had to have been from new queen as dates would not have been from old swarm queen. I could see no sign of new queen or any eggs over both boxes so in case something had gone a miss gave them a frame of eggs to see. Fast forward june11th. Inspected and again no eggs and even less capped brood as most emerged by now. So again looked for queen and eggs and found neither. Gave another frame of eggs. Fast forward to today. Zero brood in any stage, no sighting of queen and signs of stores being eaten. Lots of bottoms up bees in cells in bb despite two supers nearly full. Can anyone offer what is going on. Im planning on moving them to reduce the flyers and have a serious look for a queen but its now been over 3 weeks since eggs were last layed. I can combine but really would like to understand what is or has gone on here. Any advice gratefully received. Thanks.

 

[eltalia]

Can anyone offer what is going on.

One reason why adding eggs to LW colonys does not work is
the bees consume the eggs on sensing the parent pheromone.
Same thing applies when adding brood to queenright, it is a punt
they are accepted yet often are in contrast to what happens in LW
more times than not.
As with that other poster today, sift all bees over a QE IF you
cannot wait it out for your own reasons. You have plenty of time
(weeks) before any LW syndome can get hold.
Help?

Bill

 

[Bakerbee]

Thanks for your thoughts etalia. I should explain further the frames of eggs ive introduced are in the process of being fed raised and capped. When i say zero eggs or bias in the double brood i meant except these newly introduced frames. The bees have not consumed them, they are treating these frames normally just not producing qc.

 

[eltalia]

Thanks for your thoughts etalia. I should explain further the frames of eggs ive introduced are in the process of being fed raised and capped. When i say zero eggs or bias in the double brood i meant except these newly introduced frames. The bees have not consumed them, they are treating these frames normally just not producing qc.

Yes well, I did take "Zero brood in any stage" to mean what such says, universally.
Nevermind, advice remains unchanged.
Are you feeding lollywater (syrup) to this colony?

Bill

 

[madasafish]

" i knocked back all qc except one then went away on holiday during may."

Time for queen to emerge after cell capped: 8 days
Time for queen to get mated: 1-3 weeks (it could even be 4)

Time for queen to start laying : anything up to 3 weeks..


SO that is 7 weeks since unknown date in May..
It is now the end of the third week in June...
Look for polished cells - shiny bottoms in brood frames - a precursor to laying.

Try a test farme eggs and young larvae.

 

[Bakerbee]

Ok thanks madasafish. Perhaps im being a little too impatient. I had two hives in similar situation before i went on hols the other was an artificial swarm. That hive is already laying so i assumed this one would be the same also. I will wait a little longer. Stressful stuff this beekeeping lark! Lol.

 

[Bakerbee]

Hi etalia ive juggled a couple of frames from a store heavy hive with some empty cell frames to help with feed issue. Two birds one stone.

 

[madasafish]

Ok thanks madasafish. Perhaps im being a little too impatient. I had two hives in similar situation before i went on hols the other was an artificial swarm. That hive is already laying so i assumed this one would be the same also. I will wait a little longer. Stressful stuff this beekeeping lark! Lol.

I've been there..done it and screwed it by being impatient...

 

[beeno]

Hi Bakerbee, Don't forget that if you left colony with one QC and there were eggs and young enough larvae in the hive they would have produced emergency cells when you take the Q out for the AS. That means that the virgin that you most probably have in there is younger than you think!

 

[Millet]

Hi Bakerbee, Don't forget that if you left colony with one QC and there were eggs and young enough larvae in the hive they would have produced emergency cells when you take the Q out for the AS. That means that the virgin that you most probably have in there is younger than you think!

 

[Beefriendly]

the virgin that you most probably have in there is younger than you think!

Now that can get you time....

 

[eltalia]

Hi etalia ive juggled a couple of frames from a store heavy hive with some empty cell frames to help with feed issue. Two birds one stone.

Yer onit...top stuff!
/waves/

Bill