Spring broodless colony

Kaz · Apr 17, 2023

I've just completed my second inspection of a colony which has no brood and I can't find the queen. However, there are young bees in the colony, there are large areas of polished cells in the frames ready for laying, and no laying workers. So it seems the colony think they have a queen? I've added a cut out portion of comb with eggs and young larvae (this is a national hive which I "look after" for a lady in her 90s - they were her husband's, but my own hives are commercials so not interchangeable). I'm not sure the bees will make queen cells with what I've given them but I couldn't think of anything else to try. Any ideas or thoughts?

enrico · Apr 17, 2023

Kaz said:
I've just completed my second inspection of a colony which has no brood and I can't find the queen. However, there are young bees in the colony, there are large areas of polished cells in the frames ready for laying, and no laying workers. So it seems the colony think they have a queen? I've added a cut out portion of comb with eggs and young larvae (this is a national hive which I "look after" for a lady in her 90s - they were her husband's, but my own hives are commercials so not interchangeable). I'm not sure the bees will make queen cells with what I've given them but I couldn't think of anything else to try. Any ideas or thoughts?

There is no reason why it shouldn't work. I don't think there is much else you could do in the circumstances

Anduril · Apr 17, 2023

Unfortunately there may be no hope for the colony. But one of you commercial frames will definitely fit a national if you want to try. If you use the Hopkins method of Queen rearing, by laying a frame horizontally and elevated enough above the top bars, to make room for queen cells.

Kaz · Apr 23, 2023

Kaz said:
I've just completed my second inspection of a colony which has no brood and I can't find the queen. However, there are young bees in the colony, there are large areas of polished cells in the frames ready for laying, and no laying workers. So it seems the colony think they have a queen? I've added a cut out portion of comb with eggs and young larvae (this is a national hive which I "look after" for a lady in her 90s - they were her husband's, but my own hives are commercials so not interchangeable). I'm not sure the bees will make queen cells with what I've given them but I couldn't think of anything else to try. Any ideas or thoughts?

Update: happily QC's have been built (the young larvae were from a colony with a GREAT queen), so fingers crossed they can recover

Kaz · Apr 25, 2023

Kaz said:
Update: happily QC's have been built (the young larvae were from a colony with a GREAT queen), so fingers crossed they can recover

Update to my update: QCs have been torn down and there is a queen up and laying, eggs and v young larvae present. She must have been there all the time - maybe a very early supercedure?

enrico · Apr 25, 2023

Kaz said:
Update to my update: QCs have been torn down and there is a queen up and laying, eggs and v young larvae present. She must have been there all the time - maybe a very early supercedure?