Stories of 2012 Queen problems

[Polyanwood]

Anyone else hearing these stories? Anyone else got stories to tell? Is 2012 a funny year for queens?

Of course lots of newer beekeepers are now panicking because a couple of weeks after their artificial swarm they see no eggs. This is normal, if stressful for them.

I have been told of and experienced other things that aren't normal:

1. One of my hives superceded. Sunday there was old queen and eggs. Yesterday there was virgin and unsealed brood, but that is good news, but friend who checked my bees Sunday asked me to check them myself because there were QCs on the crown board. One on each side....not hanging down, but flush to the board!

2. Lots of complaints (happened to me too) about newly mated queens coming into lay and within a couple of weeks new queens cells appearing, even though the nuc is not overcrowded.

3. Queens emerging with a wing missing or twisted wings. Is this DWV vertically transferring from mother to daughter through the egg?


What I'm worrying about is that this warm Winter increased varroa loads, which increased virus loads and that viruses are in the queen's ovaries and being passed on to her daughters. If this hypothesis were true, what is the mechanism to get rid of the viruses in the queen? With vertical transmission are all the eggs infected with he virus? Can the queen ever rid the viruses from her body or is she doomed to always lay infected eggs?

Are you having more queen problems this year?

 

[Poly Hive]

In a word no, but being that much later here none of my virgins have yet mated.

I think that the vastly increased ability to communicate means that we are hearing of oddities that otherwise may have remained either private or confined to a very small circle.

Generalisation from the particular is becoming much more common.

PH

 

[susbees]

Quick one on 3. twisted and deformed wings can be caused by chilling at that critical stage (and no I can't remember which day it is).

 

[jimmybee]

Ive had 3 new queens mate from really early splits about 6 weeks ago they have gone that well I may be spliting them again they have filled there brood and a half and most of there 1st super.

 

[jimmybee]

Quick one on 3. twisted and deformed wings can be caused by chilling at that critical stage (and no I can't remember which day it is).

Day 6 or 7 I think?

 

[susbees]

Day 6 or 7 I think?

Figures...about the last thing before the chitin hardens and out...

 

[protheroe]

did have a queen last year with only stumps for wings,i put it down to cold weather and not enough bees to keep the nuc up to temperature.This year the 15 queens ive had so far are all looking good

 

[barratt_sab]

There is some discussion on queen problems here in Essex and some investigative work is ongoing, I think.

There is a bit from an Essex blog here:

http://www.honeyhouse.co.uk/?p=150

which gives you a little bit more information.

There was also a bit in a newsletter - I can't find it at the moment, but will post if / when I do.

 

[Polyanwood]

Interesting. Some of the experienced Bromley and London Bekeepers have been complaining about similar things as in the Essex blog.

Good to know the thing about chilling queen cells affecting their wings. Thanks. Person who complained of this said it did not look like deformed wing virus.

So what is the hypothesis of the Essex beeks on their problem?