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Help!!! No eggs in entire hive !!!!!!

4K views 6 replies 6 participants last post by  Seymore 
#1 ·
Just inspected one of the hives and there was no eggs, larva, or queen visible. Tons of drones and only 50 capped brood cells left. Found 6 Queen cells that look like they just opened. I couldn't find a queen but if she just came out what should I expect????? HELP...What should I do??
 
#4 ·
I'd wait and watch. They most likely superceded her highness and her successor isn't laying yet. Beyond that, maybe move in a few frames from another hive to increase population for winter. IMHO, too late to introduce a queen and build up for adequate cluster over winter. Better to plan on an early spring split for free vs spending money on a risky situation.
 
#5 ·
Agree with throrope. It's too early to combine. If you have capped brood then you had a queen in there between 9 and 21 days ago. You can expect that it will take 30 days for a new queen to start laying. I would wait two weeks after you see no more brood to do the combine. If the queen survives the mating flights okay you will be fine.
 
#6 ·
It sounds like the hive may have swarmed. The abundance of Drones is a sign of that. Were the open cells high or low on the frames? It sounds like they bult swarm cells, which emerged, and cast off. If the new queen did not take that would explain why the hive is now queenless. If you add a mated queen and feed the hive syrup and pollen you should be able to get it ready for winter.
 
#7 ·
If I'm not mistaken, drone cells in YOUR hive may be good in this case. Means there should be OTHER drones still out and about way up there in CT. Don't know your zone but seems like cold should be heading your way soon. You need drones to mate. If you knew when drones start disappearing in your area, that would help. If your drones are just evidence of a fouled up hive, that's one thing. But if drones are still out and about, your queen should get mated - if she is there. An Unmated queen is hard to spot because she still has her young, sexy figger.

Possible you have a laying worker? Those that know - how long from queenlessness to a laying worker might start?
 
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