Queenless?

[Abercroft]

I have two hives, one the original hive with a new nuc installed middle of May.
Second is a hive with the bees from that original nuc that swarmed within three weeks of installation.
I had a government man come and inspect late July. All was well. Original hive had eggs, brood, etc.
Swarm hive had original queen and eggs, brood etc.

Today I inspected and treated for Varroa. (A little late, I know).

Original hive had very few brood, and some stores. Queen, if she is still there, is one the colony raised, and so not marked. The eggs we saw during government inspection indicates that there was a queen, and she was mated and laying. Now I’m not so sure she is still there.
I couldn’t tell if there were eggs. It didn’t look like it to me.

Swarm hive has lots of brood, a little stores, and I saw the queen (as she is marked). I didn’t see any eggs here either, so that makes me think I just didn’t recognise them because of the light or something like that.

Both colonies were docile and not aggressive. Both colonies had pollen stores. Both colonies seemed to have a good amount of bees. Not overwhelming numbers, but not less then I have seen before.

Our season has been very cool and rainy this year. Very poor flows. I understand I will need to feed. I will feed the swarm colony in the next few days. This week, they say, will be dry and warm. We’ve had good bright dry weather for the last three days. (A welcome change!)

I have two questions:

Should I suspect the original hive is queenless? How can I know for sure?
I’ve never seen the queen this colony raised, but the fact of eggs and previous brood says she was there. (And I did see a queen emerge during an earlier inspection, and after the swarm.) I don’t want to combine unless I am very sure there is no queen.

There are two large fields near us with a mustard like plant blooming. See photo.
Seems like it’s a green fodder crop.
Does anyone know what this is, and if the bees can get anything from it? The internet seems to think all brassicas are great for bees, and I know rapeseed is in the same family. There are also a load of sunflowers that were planted on the edges of the fields. More than enough for my two little hives.
Do I wait until this possible resource is exhausted before I give some syrup, or do I do that now anyway?

New keeper here, since Middle May. Having bees is proving to be emotionally exhausting! The uncertainty about what is happening and what I should do, if anything, is driving me crazy. And I seem to be buying something new every week! This week it’s HiveGates and wasp traps….next week?

Thanks for your input. I’m in eastern Scotland, Angus area. Agricultural land use.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

inspected and treated for Varroa. (A little late, I know)

is it late?

By the sounds of it, there is very little food in the hives - that would slow down the laying rate.
Many colonies have a brood break around this time.
It would help if we knew where you were.

 

[Abercroft]

I‘m near Brechin, in Angus. East of Scotland in the heart of agricultural fields.
The original colony had quite a bit of stores, but I took it so I could get the super off.
But I left four full medium frames full of honey, most of it capped.
Most of what I took appears to be unripe, so I will probably feed it back to them.
It was pretty runny, and but I’m only used to supermarket honey.

I was told to treat mid August.

 

[hemo]

One can treat for varroa any time of the year, though one has to be careful if honey is for public consumption.
Typically treatment late August well in to Sept in normal to reduce mites and any virus load before the winter bees are produced. Timing is dependant on treatment used.

A lot of us will be starting soon or are midway thru treatments , though there we be some beeks who don't bother. Some carefully monitor and don't treat , this is far different to those who just don't bother.

 

[Abercroft]

Oh good! That means I’m not late after all. Thanks!

 

[Erichalfbee]

I‘m near Brechin, in Angus. East of Scotland in the heart of agricultural fields.
The original colony had quite a bit of stores, but I took it so I could get the super off.
But I left four full medium frames full of honey, most of it capped.
Most of what I took appears to be unripe, so I will probably feed it back to them.
It was pretty runny, and but I’m only used to supermarket honey.

I was told to treat mid August.

Do you Follow David Evans?
It's a useful resource. Welcome - The Apiarist

 

[Abercroft]

I do now! Thanks!

 

[ericbeaumont]

not so sure she is still there.
I couldn’t tell if there were eggs

Before taking further action you must be certain whether eggs are present or not.

What is it that prevents you seeing eggs? If you use reading glasses, wear them for hive work. If you need an LED torch or magnifying glass, take them next time.

Use little or no smoke when opening to look for a queen; remove a couple of frames, check for the queen and park them in a nuc box. Queen can be anywhere on any comb or hive surface, but is often found on open brood.

When you're sure the queen is not on a frame, shake the bees off into the box and search the frame for eggs or BIAS. Work your way through the box.

Remove one surplus frame and add a frame of eggs (without bees) from your other colony, into the centre of the brood box of the suspect colony.

Check in 4 days for EQCs. If none are made it is likely the colony is queenright, but the test is not infallible, as some colonies seem to avoid making QCs despite being queenless.

If they make QCs you can remove them and unite, or buy a mated queen.

mustard like plant

Is it a sown crop or volunteers from previous years? Knock on the farmhouse door and ask.

uncertainty about what is happening and what I should do, if anything, is driving me crazy

What training did you have before the bees arrived?

A good basic beginner guide is the Haynes Bee Manual (£13 online) which will be your saviour for the next few years.

Use the Apiarist, Black Mountain Honey and Norfolk Honey Co. on YouTube, and Dave Cushman's A-Z online. Avoid most else, which will confuse and corrupt.

It will take you about 3 or 4 seasons to get the hang of the basic seasonal cycle, and 5 and more to become halfway competent. In the meantime, live with the steep learning curve and make the mistakes that will accelerate your learning.

appears to be unripe

Buy a refractometer and keep it in the apiary. Above 19% water is the risk zone for fermentation, at 20 it will ferment and, yes, best feed it back (at dusk, to avoid a robbing frenzy).

 

[Abercroft]

Thank you for such a good and through reply.
I did get some training, but without the bees it was all theory.
I so follow Black Mountain Honey on YouTube, and Fredric Dunn is another I am a fan of. Different environments, I know.
I think the sun was so bright I had a hard time seeing. Strange co dictions for Scotland!
I like the idea of taking a magnifying glass to look. Good idea.

Do I just feed back the unripe honey in the top feeder as if it’s just sugar syrup?
A refrectometer is already on my shopping list.

 

[ericbeaumont]

feed back the unripe honey in the top feeder as if it’s just sugar syrup?

Yes. Fit the feeder in daytime but fill quietly at dusk.

 

[Abercroft]

you guys have been a BIG help. Thanks!

 

[Swarm]

Thank you for such a good and through reply.
I did get some training, but without the bees it was all theory.
I so follow Black Mountain Honey on YouTube, and Fredric Dunn is another I am a fan of. Different environments, I know.
I think the sun was so bright I had a hard time seeing. Strange co dictions for Scotland!
I like the idea of taking a magnifying glass to look. Good idea.

Do I just feed back the unripe honey in the top feeder as if it’s just sugar syrup?
A refrectometer is already on my shopping list.

Do you have a smart phone? If you are in doubt about seeing eggs, take a couple of photos of the brood area and zoom in on the cells

 

[Abercroft]

I do, and I will. Good idea.
I think there is a lot of nectar in the cells that I would expect to see eggs. And the little spot of shine in the cells is liquid, rather than eggs. I don’t know this is true, but this is what I was thinking. Both hives had this problem. So to me, that tells me I’m misinterpreting what I am seeing (to the negative). I’ll go back and take another look in a few days. Take a better look for the queen as well.
A photo would be a great idea. I could scrutinise the cells better and away from the bright sun.

 

[enrico]

I do, and I will. Good idea.
I think there is a lot of nectar in the cells that I would expect to see eggs. And the little spot of shine in the cells is liquid, rather than eggs. I don’t know this is true, but this is what I was thinking. Both hives had this problem. So to me, that tells me I’m misinterpreting what I am seeing (to the negative). I’ll go back and take another look in a few days. Take a better look for the queen as well.
A photo would be a great idea. I could scrutinise the cells better and away from the bright sun.

The best way to look into a frame is with the sun behind you lighting up the inside of the cell. Stand up straight with the frame over the hive and take your time. If it is full of bees then just blow GENTLY onto the frame to move the bees away from an area. When you are more confident you can shake the bees off a frame to have a good look.

 

[hemo]

For when the seeng isn't good or simply you can't focus to see eggs, I use a led pen torch always kept in my tool box.

 

[Abercroft]

Another excellent idea! Bravo!

 

[hemo]

I always check the pen light works at the beginning of every season as I have a rummage and tidy up of said tool box, my pen light is a 75mm long usb rechargable one.