Royal Jelly or Foul brood?! Eeek!

[Pips]

Had my new colony for a month (left over from a hive that swarmed). No queen found or any evidence. Last week I out a frame of brood, including day old eggs and young larvae from other hive that is doing well. This week, there are baby larvae, but they are 'swimming' in a white gloopy substance. There is a queen cell built in the frame, but it has what looks like a day old egg in it, so not sure who laid that as too small to be from other colony's queen eggs. I did the toothpick test and no stringy line (ie American FB). Also gloop didn't seem to smell. The larvae are distinct within the white gloop, rather than looking 'melted' but the whole cell has a melted look due to to the white stuff. So not sure if the bees have put royal jelly in the all the egg cells or the hive is diseased. Any suggestions welcome.

 

[YorkshireBees]

Take a photo, it would be a lot easier to offer advice then.

Otherwise we are just guessing based on your description.

 

[Pips]

Right, feel a bit of a Burke... Just done some searching online, and think it is just that the larvae are being given extremely high amounts of jelly! Mine seem to have the amount that a queen us given. This is the trouble with books or even going to classes- just doesn't look the same in your own hive! Think all is ok. Tried to delete the post but couldn't find a way to do it. Sorry for the silly question.

 

[enrico]

Never a silly question pips, if it worries you then it will have worried others who were just too afraid to ask!
E

 

[BeeJayBee]

Right, feel a bit of a Burke...

No need to apologise, beginning beekeeping is a very steep learning curve.

There are pictures on Beebase that might help :-
Healthy brood https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/gallery/index.cfm?galleryid=4

And in case you worry about the foulbroods, there are pictures of those too:-
European Foulbrood
https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/gallery/index.cfm?galleryid=2

American Foulbrood
https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/gallery/index.cfm?galleryid=3

 

[Pips]

Thanks, Enrico, you're always my bee hero!

 

[Pips]

Thank you, bee joyful, they are helpful, but having looked at lots of pictures and a few other hives, nothing ever quite looks like what's before you!

 

[Pips]

Am in central beds where we haven't had any registered reports of foul brood for about ten years so it is unlikely. But, the paranoia of a new bee keeper is a dreadful enemy!

 

[Ruary]

Never a silly question pips, if it worries you then it will have worried others who were just too afraid to ask!
E

The only silly question is the one you didn't ask!!

 

[Mellifera397]

The only silly question is the one you didn't ask!!

No such thing as a stupid question, just a stupid answer.

It's good that you feel confident enough to ask the question, if we dont ask the question then we'll never learn the answer

M