queenless?? what to do next

[peteinwilts]

Hi Guys

following the post frames and comb and the soggy lump, I do not know if I have a new queen or not.
The four remaining frames have no eggs or brood, just food.

It is 'possible' the soggy mass contains eggs and maybe a new queen.

My question is, if there is no queen, what should be my way forward?

Should I try and requeen the hive (as I know if there is no queen, time will be running out), or should I add some eggs from another hive and let them produce a new queen themselves (can this be done?)

Thoughts and advice would be welcome!
Cheers
Pete

 

[Poly Hive]

If you are describing a frame of brood as a soggy lump are you really sure you are queenless as if you are how can you have brood?

Do you know what brood looks like? Have you looked on the web to see pictures?

Unless you know reasonably surely what you are telling us then advising you is a tad tricky to say the least.

PH

 

[jon]

I would remove the fallen comb from the hive.
The best course of that would be to geta queen cell from someone, or failing that, a frame of eggs from which they will make an emergency queen.

 

[peteinwilts]

I was definately queenless 3 weeks ago. no eggs, no brood but there was a superceeding cell so I left the hive alone.

I have another hive with eggs and brood, all quite easy to see.

As the sealed superceeding cell was only three weeks ago, I would have hoped 'if' the queen has hatched, and is healthy, she may have mated and started laying eggs (although the books suggest she may not mate for up to three weeks from hatching)

Most of the remaining frames appear to be stores, each filled with liquid and some of which are being sealed with wax

There is one frame that was used originally to start the nuc that is clearly old and dark brown with a great deal of open cells with no liquid or eggs. The bee's have started leaving this frame alone and am thinking or replacing it.

The frame that the bees were most focusing on is now on the varroa floor and is litteraly covered with bees. I have no idea 'if' there was a queen and whether she is on top of it (or underneath it ) when it collapsed.

There may be eggs and blood on the mass on the floor. I call it soggy as there is a small amount of liquid under the floor and can see it glistening at the bottom of the brood box. It is litterally a crumpled lump of fresh comb on the floor.

without taking it out and disturbing everyone I cannot know for sure if there are eggs or a queen on the comb.

not sure whether to leave it be until they lose interest or take it out and put it on the crown board to investigate. 'if' there is a new queen, i don't want to upset her.

if there is no queen i face a possibly crashing population.