Queen stopped laying??????

[Marco666]

Two days ago I did the icing sugar treatment and today I've noticed that one of the queen is still there but has stopped laying. Not 100% sure but that's the feeling. Do you think I might have put her off?
Thank you.
Marco.

 

[GlenJ]

Two days ago I did the icing sugar treatment and today I've noticed that one of the queen is still there but has stopped laying. Not 100% sure but that's the feeling. Do you think I might have put her off?
Thank you.
Marco.

If you're in the hive that often it might be you that's the problem! At this time of year laying is greatly reducing anyway, largely affected by weather and type of bee. If there is a real problem you might also see emergency queen cells under construction as an attempt to save themselves, but I think you should leave them be for at least a week before looking again to see if anything has changed.

 

[Heather]

Patience, Marco...pour yourself a drink.. or come to the BBQ on Sunday.

 

[Mrs Shoot]

Had something similar with 3 hives. Haven't looked in 2 for at least 2 weeks due to weather. Saw queens in both hives, no QC's, no eggs or larve, some capped brood, polished cells everywhere in one hive. In the other hive some capped brood, no larve and some eggs on one side of a frame, again polished cells. The third hive hasn't been looked in for 3 weeks due to location (on a roof) and weather, no eggs, larve, some capped brood, polished cells, no signs of any QC's. This was last week, will have a quick look when I feed them again this weekend. Shoot normally does the roof colony off the back of his truck, but due to a cricket injury 5 weeks ago. Turns out he has done his acrutiates which will require surgery and has also broken his leg.....only 5 weeks to discover that. I'm having to scale a ladder as I'm a short arse to deal with them......not good with ladders.

 

[MattC]

Interested to read these comments as inspected today and also have a hive with a queen, lots of polished cells, no queen cells - but no eggs and no unsealed brood.

Haven't had a queen stop laying this early in the season before.... Hoping it's down to the cooler weather and lack of forage rather than a failing queen.

 

[protheroe]

Only capped brood in a lot of my hives,filled every available space with nectar.not using supers now so filling brood boxes.given empty combs for space.heathers still producing

 

[Eyeman]

Marco666
Is she the same queen? You don't mention what stages of brood is present.
Could have been a supercedure and the new queen is just about to start laying?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Two days ago I did the icing sugar treatment

Making them a cake or something were you?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Why not.
Anybody watching Bake Off will know that one contestant is a swarm co-ordinator

 

[Finman]

.
Dusting 2 days ago and eggs last in the hive 3 days..

I was surprised when my new good layer stopped laying. No larvae or eggs.
Hive did not have pollen stores. In that situation bees eate all larvae and stop rearing new bees. Propably they eate eggs too.

I joined to another hive which had good store on pollen. Otherwise I should find some pollen frames for the brood which will emerge.

 

[enrico]

Don't worry. You can't expect them to lay eggs all the time. She might have a headache! Just be patient, there could be a number of reasons for it which you will never find out but .... Trust that she and her girls know best!
E

 

[BeeJayBee]

Anybody watching Bake Off will know that one contestant is a swarm co-ordinator

I thought he said his father was a swarm co-ordinator somewhere in Hampshire?

 

[dpearce4]

Hi Marko

I fed my bees tonight and was surprised to find that all the hives were in a loose cluster and that was at 16c and I know we had a light frost earlier in the week so it could be that.

also went through all of them beginning of the week and some had very little brood so I wouldn't worry.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I thought he said his father was a swarm co-ordinator somewhere in Hampshire?

I could have got it wrong.
I often do.
I tend to look at the forum and watch TV at the same time.

 

[Millet]

..

 

[BeeJayBee]

I thought he said his father was a swarm co-ordinator somewhere in Hampshire?

I could have got it wrong.
I often do.
I tend to look at the forum and watch TV at the same time.

I didn't even watch that particular episode, so am just reporting what my other half said.

 

[Marco666]

Hi Heather,
I was in Prague on Thursday.
Hope you all had a great time.
See you soon.
Marco.

 

[Mrs Shoot]

After scaling a ladder onto the roof, with smoker, hive tool and thymol syrup in a contact feeder to hand. Opened up the hive, still no eggs, larve or even capped brood now. Did see the queen so know she's in there. One frame was full of pollen, three frames of stores , four of the frames had highly polished cells (arch of stores over the top),so plenty of laying room in the middle of the hive and some empty drawn frames as the back ready to fill with some more stores. Leaving them to it, it will go one way or the other.

 

[bpmurray]

My three hives went off laying over the past few weeks - I assumed it was treatment with Apiguard but now I think it's a general problem. I checked a couple of days ago and one of the queens is laying again, and another is bringing in pollen, so I'm optimistic that it was lack of forage and the ivy starting has allowed her to start again

 

[Marco666]

Laying again.

Alleluia......she is laying again!