Rejecting frames of eggs

[Alex88]

Would a colony ever reject an added frame of eggs from another colony?

For instance, if you suspected a colony was Q- added a test frame of only eggs no larva, has anyone ever heard of the frame off eggs being left alone and not nursed into larva etc..

Thanks

 

[snelgrove]

In a word , No. They would be raised as worker brood or if queenless cells would be built. If laying workers are in force may be brood will be ignored.

 

[JWF]

Unless the colony is too small, or stores too short, to be able to raise them. In that case i think many of them would be eaten.

 

[Alex88]

Great that's the answer I was looking for, thank you both.

 

[bpmurray]

Last year I thought one of my hives was queenless so I put eggs in from another hive. They were promptly removed. A couple of weeks later, the queen started laying again. I have no idea why the workers didn't want any more brood, but clearly they didn't. Stores were good and there were plenty of bees without being overcrowded. However, that was the only occasion.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Would a colony ever reject an added frame of eggs from another colony?

For instance, if you suspected a colony was Q- added a test frame of only eggs no larva, has anyone ever heard of the frame off eggs being left alone and not nursed into larva etc..

Thanks

Yes, sometimes they will just get rid of all the eggs.

 

[enrico]

I posted earlier in the season, added a frame of eggs to a colony with a queen who was a drone layer, they removed or eat every single one.
E

 

[Eyeman]

I posted earlier in the season, added a frame of eggs to a colony with a queen who was a drone layer, they removed or eat every single one.

Did you make sure they weren't short on stores!
Starving bees will eat brood.

 

[Nige.Coll]

I have seen it when they have eaten the eggs.