What sort of brood is it??

[italic63]

Hi everyone...
So long story short...I have a colony which swarmed on May 11th.
On May 12th I noticed a few queen cells and on may 13th a virgin queen.
Since then however, zero signs of brood so 7 days ago I introduced a test frame from another colony.
Today I took a look and to my surprise there were zero queen cells on the test frame yet on 7 of the 10 frames (including the test frame) a large amount of fresh brood, larvae and egg and lots of stores. I had a close look at each frame but no signs of a queen.
Could it be drone brood?
If they were queenless why no queen cells on the test frame?
Thanks
Confused

 

[BugsInABox]

Hi everyone...
So long story short...I have a colony which swarmed on May 11th.
On May 12th I noticed a few queen cells and on may 13th a virgin queen.
Since then however, zero signs of brood so 7 days ago I introduced a test frame from another colony.
Today I took a look and to my surprise there were zero queen cells on the test frame yet on 7 of the 10 frames (including the test frame) a large amount of fresh brood, larvae and egg and lots of stores. I had a close look at each frame but no signs of a queen.
Could it be drone brood?
If they were queenless why no queen cells on the test frame?
Thanks
Confused

Isn't it most lkely your just not seeing the queen.
Photos of the brood might help.

 

[italic63]

Isn't it most lkely your just not seeing the queen.
Photos of the brood might help.

Thanks for the quick reply.
I really hope so...
I know that once capped it will be easy to tell if it's drone but this colony has been on the edge for weeks now and I really hope they recover. It just seems like a massive amount of brood on a lot of frames to be just drone...

 

[BugsInABox]

For it to be all drone you also have to explain the disapeared virgin and the negative test frame. What's the pattern look like?
Fingers crossed.

 

[italic63]

For it to be all drone you also have to explain the disapeared virgin and the negative test frame. Fingers crossed.

My thoughts exactly!
So should I give it a few days and check once it's capped or leave it be?

 

[BugsInABox]

My thoughts exactly!
So should I give it a few days and check once it's capped or leave it be?

Seems to me you need to know one way or the other.

 

[Boston Bees]

So should I give it a few days and check once it's capped or leave it be?

Leave it. Just inspect 7 days after your last inspection. All will become clear and I suspect you will find it is worker brood.

 

[North End Bees]

May was awful weather for getting queens mated. If it was as bad where you are as here then she was just taking her time as would be expected.

 

[italic63]

Leave it. Just inspect 7 days after your last inspection. All will become clear and I suspect you will find it is worker brood.

May was awful weather for getting queens mated. If it was as bad where you are as here then she was just taking her time as would be expected.

Thanks for this response. Your optimism keeps me going !
I'm in the north of Italy and the weather here was shockingly bad. The wettest and coldest May in the last 40 years. An expert beekeeper neighbour of mine commented that he's never seem anything like it so yes could be...
To me it doesn't make sense that after weeks of no brood...I put a test frame in and they make no queen cells and at the same time tons of brood appears on 7 more frames.
I reckon I have a jealous queen
Thanks again

 

[Boston Bees]

Thanks for this response. Your optimism keeps me going !
I'm in the north of Italy and the weather here was shockingly bad. The wettest and coldest May in the last 40 years. An expert beekeeper neighbour of mine commented that he's never seem anything like it so yes could be...
To me it doesn't make sense that after weeks of no brood...I put a test frame in and they make no queen cells and at the same time tons of brood appears on 7 more frames.
I reckon I have a jealous queen
Thanks again

Maybe it stimulated her to lay? No idea if that happens. But anyway, it's perfectly normal for a newly emerged queen to take weeks before starting laying, but then charge ahead. Especially in bad weather. All is probably fine.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Thanks for this response. Your optimism keeps me going !
I'm in the north of Italy and the weather here was shockingly bad. The wettest and coldest May in the last 40 years.

The greens will claim their ideas are working

 

[italic63]

So today I did my inspection after 7 days to see the capped brood. I attach pictures but it seems like 100% drone unfortunately...
Lots of big fat larvae too that don't even fit in the cells. No sign of a queen laying out otherwise.
Any suggestions? I can't even treat for varroa..
Thanks

 

[B+.]

So today I did my inspection after 7 days to see the capped brood. I attach pictures but it seems like 100% drone unfortunately...
Lots of big fat larvae too that don't even fit in the cells. No sign of a queen laying out otherwise.
Any suggestions? I can't even treat for varroa..
Thanks

Yes. It is drone brood