Young Hive frame identification

[Luigi Munday]

I am a new bee keeper with 1 hive which I added a swarm 24 days ago. they have draw out comb and I can see some eggs, larvae and capped cells. However they all look like drone cells. There are a few honey cells that have been capped but not many as yet. I have not been able to see a queen. Am a bit at a loss to know if I have workers laying and no queen, any suggestions would be appreciated. thank you Luigi

 

[Garry R]

Yep those look like drone cappings and not honey. However the queen might have got off to a poor start but given it's 24 days you would expect to see a good pattern of worker brood sealed by now. Also the video shows very agitated bees - not a sure sign but often a sign that all is not as well as it might be. You are in the catch 22 position of not having another colony to donate a frame of eggs as a tester frame so if you have anyone nearby who could donate a bit of tester comb of eggs.

 

[Ian123]

You’ve got a duff queen or laying workers, if multiple eggs in a cell it’s liable to be the latter.

 

[drex]

Scattered drone cells suggests laying workers to me. If you have no access to other resources you are up a blind alley, sorry. But give it time, you have nothing to lose. Could just be a queen just getting into her stride

 

[Luigi Munday]

Scattered drone cells suggests laying workers to me. If you have no access to other resources you are up a blind alley, sorry. But give it time, you have nothing to lose. Could just be a queen just getting into her stride

Thank you

 

[Luigi Munday]

Yep those look like drone cappings and not honey. However the queen might have got off to a poor start but given it's 24 days you would expect to see a good pattern of worker brood sealed by now. Also the video shows very agitated bees - not a sure sign but often a sign that all is not as well as it might be. You are in the catch 22 position of not having another colony to donate a frame of eggs as a tester frame so if you have anyone nearby who could donate a bit of tester comb of eggs.

Thank you

 

[Luigi Munday]

You’ve got a duff queen or laying workers, if multiple eggs in a cell it’s liable to be the latter.

Thank you

 

[Ian123]

Thank you

Above it’s been suggested that she may get up and running. Given the frames I can see I’d suggest any chances are pretty non existent.
If your on a swarm list I’d ensure your still on it or they are aware your still looking. Put a bait hive up asap or if funds allow purchase a nuc.
All that’s likely to happen with that lot is they’ll dwindle and ruin your good comb, there’s a possibility they you may find queen cells but they will not be viable.

Be quick with any bait hives Swarming impulse will be dropping and numbers decreasing as the main flow draws to an end. Few swarms about after this period!

 

[Erichalfbee]

It's a pity. It must have been so exciting getting your first bees. But I agree with Ian. These are a dead loss

 

[Xander]

Your profile doesn't say where you're based, could be the colony of laying workers I shook out a fortnight ago

 

[enrico]

as above, where are you. There may be people on here that can help with a frame of eggs or even a new nuc if that is useless

 

[Just Steve]

I have a spare virgin queen if you are anywhere near DY9 area

 

[ericbeaumont]

chances are pretty non existent

Shake them out and take away your hive, because this lot have no future and will find a home elsewhere.

Beekeeping is like a surfer's wave: you've paddled about for a long time but when the wave arrived, you fell off (we've all done it ). There'll be another one along next year.

To bypass that wait, contact your local BKA and ask to buy a local nuc; many supplier retail nucs are out of stock.

Got a virgin queen

Laying workers act as if they're queenright: Laying Workers, Beekeeping, Michael Bush

 

[Erichalfbee]

will find a home elsewhere.

Do you think they will as the OP has no other colonies?

 

[ericbeaumont]

Do you think they will as the OP has no other colonies?

Hobson's choice, unless he wants to watch them wither over the next few weeks.

Unless he's out in the sticks, bound to be a local colony.

Where do you live, Luigi?

 

[Sutty]

Luigi, If you're close to me I could supply you with a nuc.

 

[Erichalfbee]

He might be in Leeds.

 

[Luigi Munday]

Hobson's choice, unless he wants to watch them wither over the next few weeks.

Unless he's out in the sticks, bound to be a local colony.

Where do you live, Luigi?

Chelmsford Essex

 

[Luigi Munday]

I am a new bee keeper with 1 hive which I added a swarm 24 days ago. they have draw out comb and I can see some eggs, larvae and capped cells. However they all look like drone cells. There are a few honey cells that have been capped but not many as yet. I have not been able to see a queen. Am a bit at a loss to know if I have workers laying and no queen, any suggestions would be appreciated. thank you Luigi

What if i were to buy a new queen?

 

[ericbeaumont]

What if i were to buy a new queen?

Waste of money, Luigi.

Colony believes that it's queenright and will kill her. Read the link on laying workers at post 13.

If you bought a nuc from a local beekeeper (are you a member of Chelmsford BKA?) you could do this:

Remove the laying worker hive away from its spot.

Take the frames out of the LW colony and lean them somewhere, doesn't matter where. Shake out the bees from the box and re-assemble it on the original site. Shake all bees off 5 or 6 good stores frames and put them into the ends of the empty brood box.

Transfer the 5 or 6 queenright nuc frames into the centre of the brood box. Bang the rest of the nuc bees into the hive, and close up.

Shake all the remaining LW bees onto the ground in front of the hive.The LW bees will be glad to enter the new queenright colony and will bolster the expanding nuc.

Burn the surplus LW frames, which will hold drone brood mostly but also varroa mites (which prefer drone brood) so removing drone larvae will benefit the colony.