Queens not laying!

[biggles]

Queens in the BB but very low egg numbers or declining numbers, I've had a few people call me and I've also got a few hives like this. Anyone else out there?

Now I'm not an expert but I think it's because over the past two years queen mating has been very poor, with all the rain through the summer.

Thoughts please

 

[sharonh]

I have two Queens from last Aug. One seems more prolific than the other but I'm going to see how she gets on. One took over my main colony and other was in a poly nuc until two weeks ago when transferred into national.
It's the one from the nuc, doesn't seem to be as productive. But then again, the other had an advantage with a ready to use brood box while the nuc had nearly all new frames to start apart from two. Weather was pretty good late July & Aug so think they had no problem in mating.


Love Beekeeping <3

 

[HM Honey]

Mine are all 2013 Queens and are laying at a very fast rate of knotts tbh.

 

[busybee53]

Queens lay less eggs and slim down before swarming. Have a good look for queen cups/cells.

There are lots of swarms about. Iv'e dealt with 2 this week and I am not on any collector's list.

 

[Spikedog]

One Q did not survive winter and another produced zilch/zero and was killed by own bees in a combination. All now combined with a strong laying but old Q. Awaiting drone and Q cells (if not a viable purchased Q) to restock ... So for your research two of three Q's down.

 

[biggles]

Thanks for the replies.
I think the amount of early swarms about might be linked to badly mated queens.

 

[chrismcd]

Me too

Out of seven hives I have two where the queens appear to have lost the plot. One has now disappeared (test frame produced emergency queen cells) and the other queen is laying at a very slow rate.

Hopefully she will improve her performance - otherwise she is going into the Observation hive - where her slow rate of lay is a bonus!

All very similar genetics - wish I knew the reason for the difference. I tend to subscribe to the theory that they just did not a "wonderful" mating flight.

Between them is a hive going like a bomb and I am expecting queen cells any day. The other four hives are just starting to really get going, but I am quite high up on a windy site, so that is about par for the course.

 

[HM Honey]

Thanks for the replies.
I think the amount of early swarms about might be linked to badly mated queens.

I think it's probably more likely linked to the very mild winter we had...

 

[oliver90owner]

I think the amount of early swarms about might be linked to badly mated queens

Can you justify, or expand? Personally I can't see any connection whatsoever, so eager to hear why anyone would think that is the case.

 

[Fatbee]

Biggles if the queen is poorly mated the bees are more likely to supersede her than let her swarm. I think the post about perhaps reduced eggs due to getting ready to swarm is probably nearer the mark. Remember despite it being an early spring hence the number of early swarms (particularly I would imagine near big forage sources such as OSR) it is still early in the season. I would judge her laying over the next couple of weeks and keep looking for those QCs to appear. Are they making play cups?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Mine are all 2013 Queens and are laying at a very fast rate of knotts tbh.

mine are all going like trains and laying on eight plus frames - no OSR, apple blossom started Wednesday so no great shakes forage wise

I think it's probably more likely linked to the very mild winter we had...

Biggles if the queen is poorly mated the bees are more likely to supersede her than let her swarm. I think the post about perhaps reduced eggs due to getting ready to swarm is probably nearer the mark. Remember despite it being an early spring hence the number of early swarms (particularly I would imagine near big forage sources such as OSR) it is still early in the season. I would judge her laying over the next couple of weeks and keep looking for those QCs to appear. Are they making play cups?

 

[biggles]

The people I spoke to and a couple of our hive had a queen laying very few eggs and they either died, we put a frame of eggs in or re queened. There was a build up early in spring but then a decline. The only reason I can think of is lack of sperm.

 

[masterBK]

Declining laying rates can be associated with Nosema infected queens especially in spring

 

[REDWOOD]

 

[RosieMc]

Got two hives. One queen took her time to start laying this spring and is now doing OK but not as good as I would wish. The other has slowed down considerably the past few weeks and I am getting worried about this one.

Neither are 'black' queens which usually lay less

Very few drone cells in both hives. Could be the weather with some reasonably warm days but otherwise cold, wet, and very very windy

 

[Erichalfbee]

Mine are similar.
We've had ten days of crap weather......paying for the early Spring.