Was this the right thing to do?

[nettle]

What do you think of the below picture? Is this enough poo/dysentry to worry about?

I went to do my first full inspection of the year today, after briefly going into the hives a couple of weeks ago to check they had room to lay, as they were both quite heavy still. This hive had no sign of the queen. I left it a couple of weeks before doing a full inspection (the weather turned very cold after that), but confirmed today that it's queenless.

I went prepared to unite the colony with the other one, but seeing this around the entrance made me think twice. There was no mess on the frames, but the queen-right colony had a lovely clean entrance. There were drone cells in the good colony, so instead of uniting I took a chance and put a frame of eggs & brood in the queenless one, in the hope there'll be drones around soon.

Do you think they have a chance of re-queening, or have I wasted a frame of brood on a lost cause? Am I being too worried about possible nosema problems based on this pooey entrance?
(Be nice please, I've had a horrible week. Thanks!)

 

[Boston Bees]

All you have told us about this colony is that it had no queen. What else did you see? Any brood at all? Enough stores, right? How many frames of bees?

 

[nettle]

All you have told us about this colony is that it had no queen. What else did you see? Any brood at all? Enough stores, right? How many frames of bees?

As last visit, no brood at all. Loads of stores - I had a super on over winter which is still pretty full (of syrup, I know now that I overfed them). Around 8 frames of bees. Other than now knowing they're queenless, and the poo, on the surface they look like a strong colony still (to my beginner eyes).

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Am I being too worried about possible nosema problems based on this pooey entrance?

yes, that isn't nosema, just normal poo, it's what happens if they've been cooped up for a while and the mad rush for outside when the otter's nose is poking out causes the occasional slip.

 

[Boston Bees]

As last visit, no brood at all. Loads of stores - I had a super on over winter which is still pretty full (of syrup, I know now that I overfed them). Around 8 frames of bees. Other than now knowing they're queenless, and the poo, on the surface they look like a strong colony still (to my beginner eyes).

Fair enough then, I'd have tried a frame of eggs too.

 

[nettle]

yes, that isn't nosema, just normal poo, it's what happens if they've been cooped up for a while and the mad rush for outside when the otter's nose is poking out causes the occasional slip.

Oh good, thanks