Queenless...

[Mikeb123]

Ok so carried out an inspection today and still no sign of eggs nor the queen (the same as last weekend). My growing concern is that if I don't do something soon there won't be enough bees to tend to new brood if I can get a queen. It's my only hive so I can't cure the problem myself. Does anyone know someone who has spare queens :/ ?
Thanks

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

doubtful if there are queens for sale this time of the year unless someone is uniting colonies thus will have queens due to be squished. how often are you doing inspections at this time of the year?

 

[Mikeb123]

First one last week, second today. Both days have been lovely which has helped out letting me inspect for my concern.

 

[psafloyd]

Mike,

If it turns out there is no queen, how many bees are there? If no queen, and hasn't been one laying, numbers will be in terminal decline.

If just 'gone' queenless, can you get a frame of brood from someone near you?

 

[Mikeb123]

^^^^ numbers are around 3-4 frames max, 14x12. On route now to get a test frame from
a keeper
Thanks

 

[Heather]

and if they develop a new queen cell... no drones yet??
May stop them developing into DLW though.. give you 3 weeks respite.
Then another egg donation may produce more queen cells with better likelihood of drones. In meantime feed to help them keep going.

 

[enrico]

My advice? Be patient! I don't know how experienced you are but a small patch of eggs and brood can be missed so easily at this time of the year. The queen is barely getting going yet in some hives so ....... I would do nothing. There are no drones to mate a new queen anyway, there are no new queens around yet, if you had a second hive I would combine but you haven't so I think patience is your only possible alternative.
The warm weather is deceiving.....it is still early in the year!
E

 

[hiveabee]

Did you see any brood or eggs?

 

[Pete D]

My advice? Be patient! I don't know how experienced you are but a small patch of eggs and brood can be missed so easily at this time of the year. The queen is barely getting going yet in some hives so ....... I would do nothing. There are no drones to mate a new queen anyway, there are no new queens around yet, if you had a second hive I would combine but you haven't so I think patience is your only possible alternative.
The warm weather is deceiving.....it is still early in the year!
E

I would hope that the queen was gearing up towards full flow by now. Checked a few hives today with 6 frames of BIAS (2/3rds of a 14x12 frame, both sides) , lowest amount of brood seen was 4 frames. I am a bit further north so would expect the average healthy hive down south to at least be on a par.
I was looking to unite hives in readiness for OSR and had a job to find small ones, did unite 2 lots and bled some brood off of a couple of others.

 

[Mr C]

Might the queen of been cleaned off so she's lost her markings?

 

[Chris B]

You are right Pete. I've done a tour today, and we did a cursory check of 56 hives, taking a closer look at anything looking suspect, small or otherwise not 100% sure about. Of those 56, 1 deadout, 1 broodless, and 54 looking good with plenty of bees and brood. I can't help thinking anything broodless at the moment has a problem, though it doesn't necessarily mean it's queenless.

Mike, the test frame is a good option. I'm amazed you found somebody generous enough to donate one so early, but it will tell you the true state of your bees. If it turns out they do actually have a queen, perhaps nosema is the problem. You could try a liquid feed with Vita Gold and a dash of lemongrass oil to encourage them. That might kickstart things.

 

[Mikeb123]

No eggs or brood seen on today's visit or last weekend. Mr C I never marked her last year, was looking to mark soon.

 

[Ely]

Put yourself on the swarm list at your association just in case

 

[Jimmys Mum]

I would hope that the queen was gearing up towards full flow by now. Checked a few hives today with 6 frames of BIAS (2/3rds of a 14x12 frame, both sides) , lowest amount of brood seen was 4 frames. I am a bit further north so would expect the average healthy hive down south to at least be on a par.
I was looking to unite hives in readiness for OSR and had a job to find small ones, did unite 2 lots and bled some brood off of a couple of others.

Hi Pete,
I have BIAS envy - that sounds like good strong colonies. Just out of interest, (and slightly off topic....) did you do any early spring feeding, syrup or pollen at all?

 

[MuswellMetro]

You are right Pete. I've done a tour today, and we did a cursory check of 56 hives, taking a closer look at anything looking suspect, small or otherwise not 100% sure about. Of those 56, 1 deadout, 1 broodless, and 54 looking good with plenty of bees and brood. I can't help thinking anything broodless at the moment has a problem, though it doesn't necessarily mean it's queenless.

Mike, the test frame is a good option. I'm amazed you found somebody generous enough to donate one so early, but it will tell you the true state of your bees. If it turns out they do actually have a queen, perhaps nosema is the problem. You could try a liquid feed with Vita Gold and a dash of lemongrass oil to encourage them. That might kickstart things.

agree with the Nosema view, having looked at about 40 (not all mine) the dwindlers with lessthan grapefruit size brood on one frame or no brood colonies have all tested positive for nosema

My buckfasts are on 5 or 6 14x12 frames with brood about dinner platesize

i've tried Hivemakers thymol spray ( really makes them buzz)

 

[Pete D]

Hi Pete,
I have BIAS envy - that sounds like good strong colonies. Just out of interest, (and slightly off topic....) did you do any early spring feeding, syrup or pollen at all?

Hi Jimmys mum, no syrup feed but whilst at bee tradex I got a box of the protein paste stuff called ultra bee which I gave just half a portion to twenty hives as a bit of a comparison, can't really say I have seen much difference but it was only half the amount.
Plenty of late pollen and stores went in last autumn and they seem to have been brooding early this year, I saw a lot of sealed brood today so a lot of nurse bees on the way, supers next !
Not sure we had much of a brood gap, I did oxalic on 4th jan. Best hives today were hives that had MAQs on 31/8, again just tried some hives (10) with this.
Saw one hive with 6 bias and a small patch, egg sized of drone brood just in one cluster near bottom of frame, swarm prep in 4 weeks ?

 

[Jimmys Mum]

Hi Jimmys mum, no syrup feed but whilst at bee tradex I got a box of the protein paste stuff called ultra bee which I gave just half a portion to twenty hives as a bit of a comparison, can't really say I have seen much difference but it was only half the amount.
Plenty of late pollen and stores went in last autumn and they seem to have been brooding early this year, I saw a lot of sealed brood today so a lot of nurse bees on the way, supers next !
Not sure we had much of a brood gap, I did oxalic on 4th jan. Best hives today were hives that had MAQs on 31/8, again just tried some hives (10) with this.
Saw one hive with 6 bias and a small patch, egg sized of drone brood just in one cluster near bottom of frame, swarm prep in 4 weeks ?

Interesting detail. Thanks for sharing. Particularly your observations re MAQS treated colonies.

JM.

 

[oliver90owner]

Chris, Pete and MM are on the money. Listen to them. Sensible analysis of the situation. Queen may be there, findable, possibly, by seiving the bees, but may be a scrub replacement which could traverse a Q/E

The rest? Pass them by.

 

[Mikeb123]

Ok say they have nosema will she go off the lay to the point of no eggs at all?
I put the test frame in yesterday so if they cap the lot then I have a queen present, I can treat for nosema if they make queen cells I'll get a new queen then treat for nosema?