Slow build up?

[clarks_magic_sack]

Second inspection of the year today, 10 days after the first. No signs of disease and plenty of stores - pollen, capped and uncapped honey. Unfortunately only one frame with brood on (in all stages) although we did see the Q laying.

Not a massive number of bees either perhaps a couple of frames worth.

She is an emergency queen produced late August/September last year and perhaps this is the cause of slow build up?

Should we think about re-queening now or wait a couple more weeks for the queen to get her act together? Another alternative in my mind is to combine with a new nuc. Suggestions?

The hive is WBC: 1 Super, QX and then BB.

 

[RoofTops]

Has the queen space to lay? If all the cells are full of stores and recently gathered nectar then the colony will not expand. Add a couple of frames of foundation if you don't have spare comb.

If there is plenty of empty comb then it sounds like a duff queen. I doubt she will suddenly improve.

A bee farmer I know told me today he is putting on the third supers and the oil seed rape hasn't even come into flower yet in his area. The crop so far is mostly dandelions. He has very good queens - buckfasts from Denmark - so that perhaps should give you an idea what a good queen can do.

 

[Essex Bees]

Can you see any eggs?

One of my hives is a little slow, but there are plenty of eggs and developing larvae.

This particular hive didn't come out of winter very strongly though, but it did survive and the queen is definitely doing her thing.

I'm going to give her another few weeks before I even consider swapping her.

 

[clarks_magic_sack]

Thanks for your quick replies;

Rooftops: There is space to lay, around 3/4 frames are free.

EssexBees: I have seen eggs and there are areas of uncapped brood and sealed brood too.

 

[Poly Hive]

She has suffered from spring Dwindle and is struggling, or rather the bees are struggling to support her. Too many have died and they are literally hanging in the balance.

The cure is more bees. Not so easy if you have none.

I would dummy them down to three frames, from the wall, pollen, brood, and a stores comb with some space to expand into, then dummy.

They need TLC. They are less than a fifth of a decent nuc. Think of them as a very poorly nuc, not a colony as they are not.

PH

 

[drex]

Why have you got a super on with so few bees, and plenty of space in the BB?

 

[clarks_magic_sack]

Again thanks for the quick responses;

PolyHive: Your comments and suggestions are well appreciated and they make ultimate sense. A quick question though, after dummying down to 3 frames I am assuming that I remove the other frames or do I leave them in the BB?

Drex: The super is full of stores, some from overwintering and also some from new flow but on the face of it, it does make sense to remove as there is plenty in the BB already.

 

[Poly Hive]

If you happen to have a poly nuc then put them in that as it is the best container for them. Failing that then a nuc box. Failing that then dummy them in the brood box having removed (of course) extraneous space.

PH

 

[clarks_magic_sack]

PH: I have an unassembled BB lying around in the house with best part of a 2nd WBC so I'll shove the frames into that.

Many thanks to everyone for all your responses, I will report back in 10 days or so on progress.