Queen cells in drone laying colony

[Torq]

So. I have a split that didn't work out. In that split there is a drone layer, unmated queen or worker that started laying on the 24th of last month, I don't know which. The drone brood is on 3 or 4 frames and in groups not just dotted around the frame, there is zero worker brood and no eggs.

Now here it comes. At the bottom of one frame there are two capped queen cells that have been drawn and capped since the drone brood started being laid down. I was always under the impression that even a hopelessly queenless colony would not allow queen cells to be completed from drone brood.

What do y'all think about this?
Thanks.
T

 

[Erichalfbee]

So. I have a split that didn't work out. In that split there is a drone layer, unmated queen or worker that started laying on the 24th of last month, I don't know which. The drone brood is on 3 or 4 frames and in groups not just dotted around the frame, there is zero worker brood and no eggs.

Now here it comes. At the bottom of one frame there are two capped queen cells that have been drawn and capped since the drone brood started being laid down. I was always under the impression that even a hopelessly queenless colony would not allow queen cells to be completed from drone brood.

What do y'all think about this?
Thanks.
T

Yes they do
It’s a last ditch hopeless attempt
They are king cells

 

[Vortex]

Had one of mine do it.. shook them all out (50 ft away) and combined with a queen right colony.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

Does this 'mutant' drone emerge?

 

[Erichalfbee]

As long as you smoke them so they are full of honey they will find their way into another colony and have some sort of use in their last days.

 

[Torq]

Thanks guys, going on holidays this weekend so they'l get evicted on thursday. Pity though as they produced a super of honey before this happened.
T

 

[beeno]

They are of no use, although they have a reduced amount of viable sperm their small statue means in practice they cannot compete in the air with full sized drones to mate with the queen.

 

[Erichalfbee]

/rollseyes/

... one gets to read some particularly earthy bullis excretious on the Net
This load is worth a mention. Hic

Bill

Then don’t read it
I have shaken out colonies as have others here and that is exactly what happens.
You just keep euthanising those bees. I’ll just keep letting them live

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

does this 'mutant' drone emerge?

d.o.a.

 

[birdsandbees]

Interestingly one of my brothers colonies was found in a similar situation at the weekend, one large QC was present but doubting it's worth and assuming King cell it was opened to reveal a very well developed drone inside (pink eye stage), I dare say that given time it would have emerged, not that it would have helped the colony in any way!

 

[Etton]

I too did an inspection today and appear to have a drone laying queen or a worker laying eggs. Lots of drone cells on many of the bb frames. The colony has two supers one fairly full and the other maybe half full. There are NO drone cells laid above the QE!
I am thinking of doing a shake out of the brood box getting rid of all the frames of brood and letting the flying bees return to just the two supers. Maybe add a queen excluder at the bottom of the hive on a thin eke. Add a Q or QC at a later date providing no more eggs.
Thoughts on this anyone?

 

[coffindodger]

Is there something peculiar this year - the weather pattern perhaps? There is another similar thread on the forum. Yesterday I went to check a hive for a worried friend and found no queen, no worker brood, lots of drone cells in both brood and super frames and several large 'king' cells. No varroa and no signs of disease. Bees quite well behaved. Need to talk to owner , but thinking uniting with queenright is safest option as it will save a few (admittedly old) bees and continue to fill the honey frames.

 

[Etton]

Is there something peculiar this year - the weather pattern perhaps? There is another similar thread on the forum. Yesterday I went to check a hive for a worried friend and found no queen, no worker brood, lots of drone cells in both brood and super frames and several large 'king' cells. No varroa and no signs of disease. Bees quite well behaved. Need to talk to owner , but thinking uniting with queenright is safest option as it will save a few (admittedly old) bees and continue to fill the honey frames.

But by merging with a queen right colony don’t you risk the drone laying queen killing the laying queen?

 

[coffindodger]

But by merging with a queen right colony don’t you risk the drone laying queen killing the laying queen?

There isn't a queen at all in the hive full of capped drone cells, nor any uncapped cells or eggs. Basically just giving stores to queenright colony.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Bees are going to require you to be very sure no eggs are in broodcomb
before you do anything. The report you have brood- presumably capped
brood - says it is too early to presume anything beyond an active viable
colony.
Forget that QX under the broodchamber, antiqutated use of an excluder
requiring unecessary work and can go wrong, for bees.
To contain a queen in that manner simply use a QR - example attached -
or build your own entrance bar, 4.5mm high is the magic number.

Bill

"R" is for "Restrainer"?

But by merging with a queen right colony don’t you risk the drone laying queen killing the laying queen?

Get a QE in there temporarily so the [worker] BEES not the Qs do the killing. Then it's cool IF as posted elsewhere the Q+ colony is the stronger.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Banned so I need not reply. But anyone reading this, DO NOT put a QE across the entrance of a hive unless you are prepared to check it EVERY DAY. This guy thinks he has reinvented beekeeping. He has not. A QE will clog with dead drones and kill the colony. Good riddance to him.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

well said

 

[Poly Hive]

I have asked Admin to remove all his rubbish but it seems he either can't or won't. Which is rather a pity as its bloody dangerous rubbish.

PH

 

[Erichalfbee]

I have asked Admin to remove all his rubbish but it seems he either can't or won't. Which is rather a pity as its bloody dangerous rubbish.

PH

There
I’ve done this thread
Does it really work though?
Does the thread make sense? Quoted posts remain

 

[Millet]

There
I’ve done this thread
Does it really work though?
Does the thread make sense? Quoted posts remain

It is far to time consuming removing all the posts from deleted members..personally i would not bother.. the offending posts will be at the bottom of the forum page in no time and it would take some real gullible members to take notice of any of the ramblings spouted by that deleted member..