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?
I wish mine would stay on one frame. It sure would make it easy to find her. Really though, she is the queen, she will do what she wants. If she needs more laying room she will move to it. I think you are probably worrying to much.
Hard to say. Perhaps she does not feel she has the population to adequately cover more brood than what she has laid? Is the surrounding comb drawn or foundation, and if drawn, how are the bees using it?
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!
> 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.
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.
A decision to rear more brood requires more workers to feed the brood and care for the brood and forage food for the brood. This is a decision made by the workers and is not undertaken lightly.
They still have to have nurse bees to feed it and house bees to store the syrup. They can only do so much. They are also responding to the time of year.
The hive I put fondant and pollen in is really going fast today. The bees' pollen sacs are full and they are coming in almost one after another with new pollen. In fact, if there were a speed limit, they would be getting tickets! I may try that in my other hive.
They slowed down in the afternoon. I noticed any yellow jackets that get in the hive are taken out "under-taker" style by the bees.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Beesource Beekeeping Forums
1.8M posts
54.8K members
Since 1999
A forum community dedicated to beekeeping, bee owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about breeding, honey production, health, behavior, hives, housing, adopting, care, classifieds, and more!