unusual laying Queen

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thurrock bees

Drone Bee
Joined
Aug 1, 2009
Messages
1,082
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Location
Haywards Heath, Sussex
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
27
Hi all
I think i know what the problem is, however ive never had a this problem before..
I have two laying queens in two different hives, last year they were good layers and doing very well. Today i opened them up and there are some (10 cells app.) cells that have between 2-4 eggs in each?

I think its a inexperenced queen.

Your thoughts please........

:grouphug:
 
She's stopped laying and laying workers are becoming prevalent?

Just the second on it's own, because her pheromones are waning?

You've got SHB? BWHN!

Could be others.

Regards, RAB
 
Do you have just a single brood box on them with no super?
I ask because the box could be conjested with Honey/brood with no cells cleaned for the queen to lay in..
 
Do you have just a single brood box on them with no super?
I ask because the box could be conjested with Honey/brood with no cells cleaned for the queen to lay in..

yes they are on a single b box as they have brood on only 4-5 frames
 
Could you take any pictures of this? I would be keen to see how it looks...
 
yes they are on a single b box as they have brood on only 4-5 frames

If the nest is 4-5 frames of bees and a few frames of food then the bees may not be moving food to frames further out so failing to expand causing the nest to became conjested,that was my thinking.

Are they healthy?
 
yes they are showing no signs of any disease or pests, ive been putting the a new frame of foundation in the middle for them to draw out and use and remove a outer frame which is black. ( spring clean)
 
I'm with Mark. I saw a small colony yesterday with single eggs in a slab of cells but multiple eggs at the top of the frame. I think that the queen (saw her) is desperate to get on with things but the workers haven't been able to prepare enough space for her.

G
 
when i open them up and take the pictures for newbies, will try to remove some of the stores and place drawn brood frames in
 
If congestion really is the problem. If there is space then it may simply take time for the bees to rearrange things. 4-5 frames of brood sounds strong enough but in a weak colony I'd worry about rearranging things for them at this time of year.

G.
 
sounds to me like there are too few bees to prepare enough cells for the queen to lay in. If they are week then I'd leave the foundation to the side untill theyve built up a bit more numbers
 
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