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Queen bee staying on same frame

6K views 18 replies 10 participants last post by  JimmyA 
#1 ·
My queen bee is fine, laying pattern is fine, etc... She stays on one frame. I believe she has laid some on the other side of the frame. Why doesn't she go to other frames to lay eggs and expand the colony quicker?
 
#4 ·
The frames next to the brood frame are almost completely drawn and the bees are filling those frames with sugar-water and pollen. The outside frames are not drawn. This is a nuc. What I am thinking is the queen won't pass the sugar-water so to keep the brood nest together. So in this hive, for now, looks like the brood nest will be just one frame. Thoughts? And thank you!
 
#9 ·
> I don't think it is the queen's decision. The workers are not preparing cells for her ...

Sometimes I give Ace static when he posts some of his unsupported personal theories. But in this case Ace is correct. :thumbsup:

From a popular Dummies beekeeping book:
The queen lays a single egg in each cell that has been cleaned and prepared by the workers to raise new brood. The cell must be spotless, or she moves on to another one.

More here:
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/tracking-the-life-cycle-of-a-honey-bee.html
 
#12 ·
How much pollen are they bringing in, and how much is in the hive?

No pollen, no eggs as they don't have the resources to feed brood, same as if there is no nectar. You are feeding syrup, maybe you need to feed supplement too.

That said, sometimes you get a colony that just doesn't want to expand much, and the only cure is a new queen. Might be tough this time of year, though.

Peter
 
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