Queen Missing

[islayhawk]

Performed an AS earlier in Season. All went well. The new Hive has one BB with plenty of larvae and sealed brood.
However, recently discoverd original Queen has disappeared from her hive. Last time hive was checked there were eggs, larvae and sealed Brood and no Queen cells. At the next check she had disappeared with no sign of eggs. Put in a test frame from new hive and on checking yesterday they have started making a Queen cell on it. My problem is that it is now late in the season and I would have thought there would be little chance of her getting mated. Would I have been better to have combined the old and new hives for the Winter

 

[enrico]

Only if you are sure there is no queen in there. A queen cell does not necessarily mean there is no queen, it is only an indication.
However I would suggest there is still time for mating! I have a hive full of drones! Might be different up there though.
E

 

[islayhawk]

Have searched over and over. Divided the frames into two's and searched but nothing. I still have plenty of drones. However the QC is still not sealed and being my first year I do not know when they will remove the drones

 

[Arfermo]

At my BKA apiary inspection session this week, we were advised by our SBI/masterbeek member, that this is the time of year when bees often get into supercedure mode. Maybe that is what you are seeing? Advice was to leave well alone as they know best what they are doing to ensure a better queen will see them through the winter. She added that quite often the virgin and the failing queen will live side by side for a while. The SBI also said that it is not too late for queen to be mated subject to the weather and drones being in the mood. My hive in the same position as you describe was swarming with drones. As you saw some that is probably the answer.
Interesting 'ennit?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

If I put a test frame in a hive which had no eggs or sign of a queen and they started drawing QC's on it I would say that this is a positive sign your hive is Q- if you had put a test frame in and they didn't draw QC's then I'd say the result was inconclusive.

You are a bit further North than us -although from experience I'd say Islay gets milder weather later in the year than we down South but I'd be tempted either to buy in a mated queen or re-unite - depends what your plans are for the future really

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Still laying out loads of drones here, laid at least as late as 1 Aug.

Add: B-all relevance I suppose but you are warm, as JBM just said

 

[beeno]

Me too, I have still got drone brood and some eggs just laid! Better than the long range weather forecast perhaps?

 

[enrico]

If I put a test frame in a hive which had no eggs or sign of a queen and they started drawing QC's on it I would say that this is a positive sign your hive is Q- if you had put a test frame in and they didn't draw QC's then I'd say the result was inconclusive.

You are a bit further North than us -although from experience I'd say Islay gets milder weather later in the year than we down South but I'd be tempted either to buy in a mated queen or re-unite - depends what your plans are for the future really

In my experience JB if they know they have a failing queen they will draw queen cells, but you try and unite a failing queen with a good queen and see what happens! It isn't always the good one that wins! I would agree they will draw queen cells if she is gone, but also if she is duff!
E

 

[user 6228]

At my BKA apiary inspection session this week, we were advised by our SBI/masterbeek member, that this is the time of year when bees often get into supercedure mode. Maybe that is what you are seeing? Advice was to leave well alone as they know best what they are doing to ensure a better queen will see them through the winter. She added that quite often the virgin and the failing queen will live side by side for a while. The SBI also said that it is not too late for queen to be mated subject to the weather and drones being in the mood. My hive in the same position as you describe was swarming with drones. As you saw some that is probably the answer.
Interesting 'ennit?

I would go along with this. As regards winter make sure your hives are sheltered from the wind and the rain. Consider building a minature bus shelter over them.
This goes for poly and wooden hives.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Consider building a minature bus shelter over them.

Don't be silly - you'll only get drunken midgets p!ssing all over the hives. Anyway, from memory - not many buses on Islay