What is going on, Drone brood in supers

[Rock_Chick]

I've just been though this one hive, eggs and sealed drone brood in supers, so at 1st thought laying workers, but having looking in the brood box, i found yes a lot of drone brood but also worker brood, so next thought was queen getting though QE, I found the queen and looking at her she's not getting though the QE, she's a nice size, so I've but on a different QE just in case of a bent wire, but I can't see any damage to it, So Question is Whats my next move ? The brood box is quite packed with pollen and not much room for her to lay, I was going to take supers off today and put on a extra Brood box, then once drawn out put supers back on. so not really sure now.Ideas please.

 

[Boston Bees]

I've just been though this one hive, eggs and sealed drone brood in supers, so at 1st thought laying workers, but having looking in the brood box, i found yes a lot of drone brood but also worker brood, so next thought was queen getting though QE, I found the queen and looking at her she's not getting though the QE, she's a nice size, so I've but on a different QE just in case of a bent wire, but I can't see any damage to it, So Question is Whats my next move ? The brood box is quite packed with pollen and not much room for her to lay, I was going to take supers off today and put on a extra Brood box, then once drawn out put supers back on. so not really sure now.Ideas please.

Take the QE out, so the queen smell can spread properly through the supers, thus suppressing the laying workers that are doing this.

Is one option.

But also make some space for her to lay in the brood box (take a frame of stores out and replace with foundation or drawn comb)

I think it's maybe too late in the year to add a full brood box of foundation, but others are better qualified than me to comment on that.

 

[Murox]

Oops

 

[Rock_Chick]

Take the QE out, so the queen smell can spread properly through the supers, thus suppressing the laying workers that are doing this.

Is one option.

But also make some space for her to lay in the brood box (take a frame of stores out and replace with foundation or drawn comb)

I think it's maybe too late in the year to add a full brood box of foundation, but others are better qualified than me to comment on that.

I did already change a few old frames to new foundation.

 

[Rock_Chick]

Oops

?

 

[Murox]

?

Pushed the wrong button. didn't find a way to cancel the post. Mis read your post thought you had worker and drone above and below excluder, realised my silliness and couldn't delete . ~So Oops~

 

[Rock_Chick]

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Patrick1]

Sounds like a two queen hive, try another excluder above the supers add a super above that and see if the same issue is repeated. If it is not then look for the second queen.

 

[jeff33]

I would say more than likely laying workers in your supers rather than a laying queen. If you want to be sure shake all the bees from the supers through a Qx into a new box and see if there is a 2nd queen.

 

[Rock_Chick]

With it all being drone in the supers, would it most likely be a laying workers ? But how a laying worker when a queen is present? Bees so confuse me at time ( well most of the time ) and the big question how do I get rid of the laying workers ?

 

[Erichalfbee]

With it all being drone in the supers, would it most likely be a laying workers ? But how a laying worker when a queen is present? Bees so confuse me at time ( well most of the time ) and the big question how do I get rid of the laying workers ?

You get laying workers in queenright colonies. In the supers there is less likelihood of the younger house bees fixing it.

 

[Rock_Chick]

You get laying workers in queenright colonies. In the supers there is less likelihood of the younger house bees fixing it.

Any idea on how to put it right, it’s a big colony, With 3 supers on. Drone in two supers so far.

 

[drex]

Is the queen pheromone being diluted too much, as you say it is a big colony ? Reduce its size?
Is she getting too old and producing less? Replace her
Or is it just a problem for you and the bees are happy with it?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Any idea on how to put it right, it’s a big colony, With 3 supers on. Drone in two supers so far.

Take the QX out?

 

[Finman]

Only way is to arrange new space where the queen can lay. There is no future for the colony, if the queen cannot lay.

Why there are so much space for drone combs, I do not know.

If the hive has 4 supers, it is not a big hive. To keep two queens in such normal hive is not wise.

 

[Rock_Chick]

I’ve checked and checked. No queen in supers, queen in brood box, I’ve but on new QX just in case she was getting though, but I don’t think so, as other QX was in good condition wire type with wood frame. The supers where getting full so added as needed, they seem to have moved honey around to make spade to lay. So that was two full supers and I added a third, they seemed to have moved honey to lay in the super, I will have another look tomorrow, and take off QX as told to by Erichalfbee, but then queen will have full run of everything. So frustrating by this colony.
I took out some old frames and give new foundation in BB so that gives her more room, but just to mess things even further, loads of pollen also in supers that why they are so full. They just like pollen, I’ve never seen anything like this in years of beekeepering. So much pollen.

 

[Erichalfbee]

No problem with queen having full run surely? By the time you are extracting the brood nest would have moved down and the supers full of honey

 

[Nige.Coll]

The workers move eggs up there.
Give them more space below the queen excluder or add drone foundation on 1 frame.

 

[Rock_Chick]

No problem with queen having full run surely? By the time you are extracting the brood nest would have moved down and the supers full of honey

Hi. Just so I‘m doing this right, if I remove the QX and let the queen have run of the 3 supers as well, that should stop the laying workers up in the supers ? My only concern is once queen is up there she’ll start laying and the supers get full of pollen as well. This one colony is stressing me out lol. All my others are doing ok and happy. What is it with all the pollen. ? I’m back In work
, so it’s going to be tomorrow now, before I get chance to do this. Just so you know the configuration it’s BB,new super with part drawn founration,2 supers full of honey and pollen and now drone brood in about 3 centre frames in each one,

 

[Dorchop]

Is the drone brood just in the super directly above the brood box?
Would it make sense to take the queen excluder and put it above that first super?
Just an idea I’m only a learner and I’m following the rise hive method so not using an excluder anyway myself