View Full Version : Help with one of my hives
sds888
05-06-2009, 10:21 AM
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn159/sds888/hive1Frame3.jpg
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn159/sds888/hive1Frame5.jpg
Can anyone tell me what is wrong. Frame #5 that looks like all those bumpy cells (I am guessing drone) is on about 8 of the ten frames. The other two look like frame #3. Am I queenless and have a laying worker? Or what??? Thanks for all the help.
MapMan
05-06-2009, 10:30 AM
I am under the impression (someone please correct me if I'm wrong) that a laying worker lays eggs (which will develop into drones) in worker-sized cells. If you cannot locate the queen, check the placement of eggs within the cells. Workers cannot reach the bottom of normal depth cells, and will lay eggs on the sides of the cell or off center, and usually multiple eggs.
MM
c10250
05-06-2009, 10:37 AM
I think I see regular capped brood. Doesn't that mean you DO have a laying queen?
Is this a new Queen ?
New Queens will lay multible eggs and also may lay a lot of drones.
Also now is the time of year for the the Queen to lay drone eggs [ swarm season]
Read the books, join your local bee club, local advise is best !
PCM
sds888
05-06-2009, 10:43 AM
I think I see regular capped brood. Doesn't that mean you DO have a laying queen?
I dont know. This is only my second year at this and my first was a complete failure. This was a package I installed on April 4th.
Ardilla
05-06-2009, 10:55 AM
You have a decent amount of worker brood there - so no laying worker. Some of the brood on the frame with the scattered drone cells are worker as well. Capped worker brood can look bumpy when the comb is still being drawn out. As PCM said, new queens can lay a bunch of drones.
I wouldn't worry yet. Check back in a couple weeks.
Axtmann
05-06-2009, 03:24 PM
Check the combs; if you find eggs your hive is ok.
I wonder why so many guys want to see the queen whenever they open a hive.
If you find eggs, larva in all sizes, closed cells and hatching brood there is no need for digggggging around only to see the queen.
If you have no idea what to do…….the best for your hives is “do nothing”. Bees lived for millions of years without beekeepers and they know how to survive.
Give them a hand to handle the pests and as a thank you they will give you some honey.