signs of queen and laying workers?

[justme]

A cast i collected on the 14/5 May now has multiple eggs in drone and worker cells, (on sides of worker ones) on 2 frames and single eggs on the bottom in worker cells on 1 frame.
Weather was changing so didnt hang around to see the queen, if theres one.

Suggestions as to whether this is likely to be a very slow learning queen or both laying workers and a queen or..........? please.

Note, down to only around 3 frames (National not OSB) of bees now. Dont want to waste a frame of hatching brood to boost if not worth it

 

[bobster]

If you have bees on only three frames and eggs/larvae in only three frames then I'd suggest your bees are doing just fine.

The queen will not lay more eggs if there are not enough bees to feed the larvae or keep brood to temperature.

If you have more bees maybe you could strengthen colony by adding a frame or two of bees.

Bobster

 

[protheroe]

when a new queen starts laying she often places multiple eggs in one cell.I nearly shook out a couple of nucs last year thinking it was laying workers,glad i didnt as the queens were fine

 

[justme]

If you have bees on only three frames and eggs/larvae in only three frames then I'd suggest your bees are doing just fine.

The queen will not lay more eggs if there are not enough bees to feed the larvae or keep brood to temperature.

If you have more bees maybe you could strengthen colony by adding a frame or two of bees.

Bobster

Thanks Bobster, but the question was about the eggs not the amount of bees:.)

 

[justme]

when a new queen starts laying she often places multiple eggs in one cell.I nearly shook out a couple of nucs last year thinking it was laying workers,glad i didnt as the queens were fine

thanks for that Protheroe, wasnt sure what I was seeing:.) Will hang on til next inspection and see then:.)

 

[meidel]

Hi justme

I just came back from the apiary and saw that in one nuc which had been a cast swarm on 8/5 had frames of eggs exactly like yours - some cells with 2 or 3 eggs in them, a few with larvae forming the odd very few with single eggs, some cells had 2 eggs both standing up which suggests they might have been laid fairly recently - my first thought was exactly as yours - darn it laying worker(s).

Is there hope?

Mei

 

[oliver90owner]

in drone and worker cells,

Tell us more, about these drone cells? It would be very unusual for a cast swarm to be making drone cells after such a short time. Or why did you supply drone comb for her to lay in?

Patience is often a virtue where bees are concerned. When capped you would soon see if it were all drone brood. It is unlikely that laying workers would be active in a swarmed colony after just a couple weeks, I would have thought and, furthermore, you should be able to tell the difference between the laying pattern of a queen and laying workers?

She was just practising on the drone comb?

 

[Torq]

I have an over wintered queen who was a really bad layer when she started again in the spring. Multiple eggs all over the place, sometimes 4 or 5 to a cell and patchy. I had destined her for the squash but on a whim gave her a frame of point of emerge brood from my other colony. The new bees kicked her into action and she's now laying perfectly and so strongly that her colony was split last week.

 

[justme]

in drone and worker cells,

Tell us more, about these drone cells? It would be very unusual for a cast swarm to be making drone cells after such a short time. Or why did you supply drone comb for her to lay in?

Patience is often a virtue where bees are concerned. When capped you would soon see if it were all drone brood. It is unlikely that laying workers would be active in a swarmed colony after just a couple weeks, I would have thought and, furthermore, you should be able to tell the difference between the laying pattern of a queen and laying workers?

She was just practising on the drone comb?

Hi O90O,
As you may remember I dont use foundation in my hives. I used an oldish frame of comb to coax the odd bees out of the bush, it worked they all moved over to it, this contained a patch of drone cells in the corners. (like bees are apt to do with no foundation to follow. These had multiple eggs in, all at the bottom. Another frame I put in (was short of spare frames at the time, also had a few drone cells, these also have multiple eggs in. However the worker comb that they have made (in between these other frames), all have single eggs laid at the bottom. I didnt see any eggs on the side of any cells, so I hope that its a learner queen who took a while to pass her test.

Last year however I collected a swarm that had been in situ about 2-3 days. Within 2 weeks we had eggs, multiple in cells, none on the sides and no singles. all brood sealed as drone. I had thought this must be too quick for laying workers.It got robbed out by wasps so didnt see if she would improve or if laying workers. Was at an isolation apiary that I had for swarms of unknown provenence. Hence my question about this one:.)

 

[justme]

I have an over wintered queen who was a really bad layer when she started again in the spring. Multiple eggs all over the place, sometimes 4 or 5 to a cell and patchy. I had destined her for the squash but on a whim gave her a frame of point of emerge brood from my other colony. The new bees kicked her into action and she's now laying perfectly and so strongly that her colony was split last week.

Thanks Torq, that sounds like its worth trying then:.)