? Virgin Queen

[Timbeez]

Hi, Virgin Queen on the 3rd of Aug inspected today, laying pattern looks fine however looks to be a drone laying queen. ? If she wasn’t mated is that due to it being early Aug and late in the season or is she just getting into the swing of things, what are your thoughts please

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Doomed I'm afraid - the only solution is a shakeout - nothing to do with it being August, just one of those things

 

[pargyle]

Hi, Virgin Queen on the 3rd of Aug inspected today, laying pattern looks fine however looks to be a drone laying queen. ? If she wasn’t mated is that due to it being early Aug and late in the season or is she just getting into the swing of things, what are your thoughts please

Definite drone layer - shake them out whilst there is still some point - the bees will beg their way into another colony and bolster the numbers whilst there is still time for them to be useful. Remember to move their hive well away from where it was or they will all head back to it.

 

[Sutty]

Doomed I'm afraid - the only solution is a shakeout - nothing to do with it being August, just one of those things

Why not remove the DLQ and unite?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

have to find the queen first

 

[Sutty]

have to find the queen first

The couple of DLQs I've seen have been no less obvious than any other queen. The last one was lovely, dark & large. Is that not the norm?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

queens can be any size, my rationale is quite simple, the workers are well past their best by now having waited for the new queen to mate, is it worth the effort of finding the queen and then uniting, the comb is goosed anyway so might as well just shake out and be done with - the bees will still augment the workforce in the neighbouring hives.

 

[Timbeez]

Definite drone layer - shake them out whilst there is still some point - the bees will beg their way into another colony and bolster the numbers whilst there is still time for them to be useful. Remember to move their hive well away from where it was or they will all head back to it.

queens can be any size, my rationale is quite simple, the workers are well past their best by now having waited for the new queen to mate, is it worth the effort of finding the queen and then uniting, the comb is goosed anyway so might as well just shake out and be done with - the bees will still augment the workforce in the neighbouring hives.

Thanks all, they initially rejected bought queen, let her lay then binned her and produced their own, it’s a shame was a strong hive two supers, but These ladies March to their drum shake out it is, two in a season