Weird queen laying

[VEG]

Did my first inspection today. There is 2 hand sized patches of capped brood, but upon examining the eggs there seems to be 4/5 eggs in some cells. This was a new queen from August 2008. She layed well towards the end of last season. I found the queen today and she was laying. Any ideas as to what is happening? There were no queen cells/cups present. Is she just getting started?. There seems to be lots of worker bees plenty of stores as well.

 

[Finman]

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It has been violated somehow. Antenna, abdomen, nosema...
Such happens during winter.

 

[VEG]

Forgot to say there are some cells with 1 egg in

 

[Poly Hive]

Some young queens "missfire" and so give her a week and see if things look more normal, it is not unusual for them to muti lay provided you see the eggs on the cell base.

PH

 

[VEG]

All the eggs were on the base of the cell not the sides.

 

[BKF Admin]

Do you know what I would do in this situation ?

Same as you have,nothing!

I will bet she is just getting the hang of laying this year.

 

[Finman]

I will bet she is just getting the hang of laying this year.

I bet that she has some trouble and a small brood area tell that queen is better to kick off. It will not come better. I bet that during two weeks she will stop whole laying.

I have had queens which lay several eggs in the cell. One reason was that antenna or boath was broken and the queen cannot smell does the comb allready has an egg.

One reason was that eggs hang in bunch in abdomen and when the queen put abdomen into cell, the buch attached on bottom.

Actually I have not seen that young layers make several eggs in the cell. And I have rearer hunreds of queens.

.

 

[BKF Admin]

I would say best thing to do is leave alone though Finman because of the time of year.

No queens yet so nothing can be done.

 

[Finman]

I would say best thing to do is leave alone though Finman because of the time of year.

No queens yet so nothing can be done.

You are right.

In this case I do not want to give hope to beekeeper, because I have not seen that these cases become better. Queen problems are common after winter in many forms. That is why I have 20% extra colonies over winter.

 

[VEG]

Well i hope that she sorts herself out or im up the creek without a paddle

 

[VEG]

After speaking to the bee inspector at a recent club apiary visit it seems this is quite normal if there are not enough bees to cover the brood area. I was told the bees will remove the excess eggs. It is a sign of a productive queen that just wants to get on with it.
As you can guess i am happy with that explanation.

 

[Finman]

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Two palm size brood areas are not sign of profilic queen.

Or you have too small cluster in the cold full hive store and bottom screen.

 

[VEG]

Well only time will tell and I have my fingers crossed.

 

[BKF Admin]

Things will be a hell of lot more easy when you get your ordered bees.

 

[VEG]

In what way do you mean easier Admin?

 

[BKF Admin]

Because you will have other hives to compare against,also you can add and take from the other hives plus breed queens if one hive is not laying.

More than one hive allows you to take a deep breath because you know you have many options rather than none.

 

[VEG]

Lol im with you now I thought there was something more sinister

 

[Eyeman]

Hi Veg
Was just about to post the same question.
I've two 6 frame nucs which are behaving in exactly the same way. Both have marked queens from last year with a small area of brood on 2 frames with worker cappings.
On an adjacent frame there are areas of multiply eggs in cells and some eggs on the side of the cells. No evidence of drone cappings.
Both colonies were the weakest coming through winter so I moved them both into 6 frame nucs 4 weeks ago.
I'm checking them weekly to see waht develops.
Bit unusual for two nucs to be behaving in this way.

 

[VEG]

Just done another inspection no queen in hive 2 sealed quuen cells. Fingers crossed that these cells come out and mate ok.

It seems in my case that the queens laying pattern was that of a failing queen, shame as she was from August 08 and laid well towards the end of last season.

 

[BKF Admin]

I understand its a very common problem Veg,last years weather was rubbish August time for queens to mate,imported queens are failing often in the second year also.

I have a hive also that has a failed queen.

If this beekeeping was easy they would all be doing it.