very aggressive

I have a new stand of bee's (this spring) they have been doing very good. they are in two hive bodys. When I went to check on them today they were very aggressive and seems there is no eggs or larva. Is this normal for the time of year or do I have a queen problem? If queen problem what may be wrong. Why did the hive not make queen cells?

Thank for all input.

your hive might have no queen but it has been very dry and the bees are more protective now.
also in late summer the queen slows down a lot =but you sahould have some eggs now.
I would look more closer for the queen and if none get one quick.
good luck Don

your hive might have no queen but it has been very dry and the bees are more protective now.
also in late summer the queen slows down a lot =but you sahould have some eggs now.
I would look more closer for the queen and if none get one quick.
good luck Don

>I have a new stand of bee's (this spring) they have been doing very good. they are in two hive bodys. When I went to check on them today they were very aggressive and seems there is no eggs or larva.

Sound like no queen. You could try checking more thoroughly, but it's pretty intimidating when they are nasty like that. I'd order one right away.

>Is this normal for the time of year or do I have a queen problem? If queen problem what may be wrong. Why did the hive not make queen cells?

Sometimes they swarm (taking the old queen) and sometimes they kill the old queen beacuse they didn't like her for whatever reason.

Then they make queen cells, the first one hatched kills the others in the cell, she goes on a mating flight and doesn't come back.

Queenless = Hopeless

Thanks, it has been real dry here but I am going to look closer for the queen. I have not had much luck identifying her in the past.

I'm not against looking for a queen, but if there is a queen she is probably laying something. If she's not fertile she'll be laying drone. If she is fertile she'll be laying workers and a few drones. If you can't find any eggs or uncapped larvae in the hive, then there is no queen.

Hi,

Is the queen from russian stock? Some strains are known to completely shut down in the abscence of a flow.

Clay

They are Italian bees and it seems there are no eggs or larva. There is some capped honey but not much.

i would say your queen is gone
(just my opinon) but a queenless colony will only get weaker .
and may fall prey to waxmoths or some other
mishap .
Zeke