Queen less colony

[angeJ]

I am pretty sure my colony has become queen less in the last two weeks. There is still brood present but no eggs or larvae. Can anyone suggest a best way forward with these bees? I was thinking if I could get a frame with some eggs on I could make up a nucleus and hopefully unify them later. Or similarly but with a queen cell? This situation illustrates why a single colony is not very useful, even for a complete novice.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

have you tried looking for the queen? What is the stores situation like in the hive - is there much forge around where you are?
I've found a few of my queens slacked off laying due to a bit of a dearth we've had due to the weather.
I would definitely try a test frame if one is available and take it from there.

 

[Nige.Coll]

When you looked through the hive had they filled the brood box with nectar ?
Were they grumpier than normal?
Have you recently removed any queen cells ?

 

[Arfermo]

Stick a frame of eggs and brood in and just wait a week before seeing what if anything has happened on that frame. You will then find out very clearly if you have a queen or not.

 

[La Folie]

Two weeks isn't very long to decide you are queenless, I normally count on 4 weeks to decide. Definitely beg a frame of eggs off someone and try that.

 

[enrico]

They go off lay....honestly, for a number of reasons. Try and be patient for a little while longer although a frame of eggs will never go amiss. Hives rarely go queenless, it would be the death of the hive if they had no queen cells so I would imagine she just had a headache!
E

 

[angeJ]

have you tried looking for the queen? What is the stores situation like in the hive - is there much forge around where you are?
I've found a few of my queens slacked off laying due to a bit of a dearth we've had due to the weather.
Stores are good in the hive. I left them with a full super that is always full of bees when I go in but very heavy - effect of too much smoking??? The hive is in the garden and there are lots of others around with abundant trees and flowers. I always try to find her but fail - I guess my inexperience of the number of bees, distractions of other tasks eg Looking out for any disease, QCs etc

 

[angeJ]

When you looked through the hive had they filled the brood box with nectar ?
Were they grumpier than normal?
Have you recently removed any queen cells ?

Yes - they were definitely grumpier - but Macclesfield weather makes lots of us grumpy
Yes to the other 2 questions also. I wondered if this was related to a change from Brood & 1/2 to just brood that I did about 5 weeks ago, because it was after that I found the queen cells - but in the half (ie super) . I pulled all the QCs down bar one with the aim of doing an AS the following day but they had destroyed that saved QC so I didn't.

 

[Nige.Coll]

What I have noticed in my own colonies is if they are q- they fill the brood frames with stores even where the queen would normally lay.
If however they have polished cells in some areas then there is a chance there is a queen present of some kind.
Polished cells are easy to spot they are almost a mirror finish inside.

Ideally a test frame should be used to help with answering the q- question as others have said. But if you see polished cells I wouldnt panic just yet as it is the June gap as they say and not all bees convert food into brood when there isn't much coming in.


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[Nige.Coll]

Were any of the queen cells you removed sealed ?
The brood is worker brood isn't it ?

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[Nige.Coll]

Were any of the queen cells you removed sealed ?
The brood is worker brood isn't it ?

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You might need to give them a super that has some space in it also. Just read that the super is full sry.

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[angeJ]

One of the queen cells was sealed so that increases the chances she has swarmed I guess. The brood is definitely mainly worker. I'll try your suggestion of the test frame - thanks.
Thanks all for the advice.

 

[angeJ]

They're not queenless,

in mid June I thought I was Queenless. This is just to let those of you who advised patience that you were right. On the 10th July when I inspected I had perfect frame of capped brood and a considerable amount in earlier stages.
Could have kissed them - but it'd take too long!

 

[graciebee]

Very helpful!!

After two weeks away I inspected my hive yesterday and was sure my queen had gone for exactly the same reasons - no fresh eggs, just capped brood. I've been panicking but after reading this will give them a couple more weeks and see what's happening. I am also a newbie so reading this was just what I needed!!

 

[Erichalfbee]

in mid June I thought I was Queenless. This is just to let those of you who advised patience that you were right. On the 10th July when I inspected I had perfect frame of capped brood and a considerable amount in earlier stages.
Could have kissed them - but it'd take too long!

Thanks for the update.
sooooooo many people post with open ended problems and never bother to let us know the outcome.

 

[angeJ]

After two weeks away I inspected my hive yesterday and was sure my queen had gone for exactly the same reasons - no fresh eggs, just capped brood. I've been panicking but after reading this will give them a couple more weeks and see what's happening. I am also a newbie so reading this was just what I needed!!

Yes - don't loose hope with them. Give them at least 2 weeks - it was more than 3 weeks before I realised there was a queen there. Good luck.

 

[Finman]

Yes - don't loose hope with them. Give them at least 2 weeks - it was more than 3 weeks before I realised there was a queen there. Good luck.

Why the hive needs 2 weeks?
British Isles has now good weathers and all queens will mate.

Normally Queen start to lay 10 days after birth. Swarm Queen starts 2 days earlier.

 

[wessexmario]

Why the hive needs 2 weeks?
British Isles has now good weathers and all queens will mate.

You can't be so optimistic Finman, we often need up to 4 weeks here for a queen to get going.
Good weather in the British Isles? We can get 4 seasons in 2 weeks in the UK, with nearby places not necessarily having the same seasons at the same time.
We've had both frosts and a heatwave over the last month.
The only thing one can be absolutely sure of with British weather is that from week to week it's unpredictable.

 

[graciebee]

Yes - don't loose hope with them. Give them at least 2 weeks - it was more than 3 weeks before I realised there was a queen there. Good luck.

I checked them this Sunday just gone and still no sign of any eggs and quite a few dead bees outside the hive... Maybe due to the stormy weather we've just had... Will keep you updated and hope you're queen is going well AngeJ!!

 

[angeJ]

Why the hive needs 2 weeks?
British Isles has now good weathers and all queens will mate.

Normally Queen start to lay 10 days after birth. Swarm Queen starts 2 days earlier.

As wessexmario says the UK weather is unpredictable but also it doesn't necessarily agree with what the met office say is happening! Here in the foothills of the Pennines the clouds don't read what the met office say they are supposed to do - they stop and just sit around.