Are the other frames drawn out or are they still undrawn foundation? Unless they are drawn out, the queen has nowhere to lay but the one drawn frame.

 

Yes, the other frames are all drawn foundation. She has plenty of room to lay. They are empty with no brood or honey.

 

Are the eggs being laid and developing in solid patterns or is some disease or pest causing them to terminate? In the latter case you will see solid egg patterns, but then perhaps irregular at the late larvae stage. High mite numbers may show regular egg and larval cells but then irregular capped cells as bees pull later stages of larvae and pupae.

With my first bunch of nucs I had the latter problem in only one nuc while others from same batch were taking off well. The queen was doing her best but brood was not maturing to emergence. Treatment for mites in my case saved that hive. Mites is not the only thing that can cause a failure to thrive that may not be the queens fault.

All that is not to say that in your case you may just have a dud queen, but I would watch a bit closer to see if there are more clues there that you could use to decide course of action.

 

Are the eggs being laid and developing in solid patterns or is some disease or pest causing them to terminate? In the latter case you will see solid egg patterns but then perhaps irregular at the late larvae stage. High mite numbers may show regular egg and larval cells and then irregular capped cells as bees pull later stages of larvae and pupae.

With my first bunch of nucs I had the latter problem in only one nuc while others from same batch were taking off well. The queen was doing her best but brood was not maturing. Treatment for mites in that case saved that hive. Mites is not the only thing that can cause failure to thrive that is not the queens fault.

All that is not saying that in your case you may just have a dud queen but I would watch a bit closer to see if there are more clues there that you could use to decide course of action.

good answer

 

That's what's so weird about the brood. Solid patterns of capped brood on both sides of the frame. I put a board below the screened bottom too, and i see no evidence of premature larvae death, no dead larvae falling down. The capped brood look healthy.

 

I put a board below the screened bottom

this is the clue you have a screened bottom board the brood area is too cold. get rid of the screen, mostly close up the hive and add some more bees. the queen will switch over from early spring mode where she is stuck to full hive expansion.

 

I would requeen if it were mine.

 

It's not too late to get another queen. Start a nuc and raise your own.

 

Are you feeding?

 

Yes, I am feeding. They're taking the syrup, and I see them flying back in with pollen.

 

with only 3 frames of bees, growth will be slow, add a couple frames of ready to emerger brood and see if it doesn't take off.

 

Hit the nail on the head, again.

 

take a frame of capped brood out of the good hive and switch it with one of hers and see
1 if she starts laying on that frame also.
2 if the other queen lays on the frame you replaced.

 

If I were you, I would do four things.
1. Take ready to hatch brood out of the best hive to increase the number of bees in the weak hive. Continue to do this every week.
2. Pinch the queen in the weak hive.
3. Wait about 5 days and get rid of any queen cells in the weak hive. Take a frame of newly laid eggs from your good queen and put into the weak hive so they can raise a new queen that lays as good as her mother.

 

I'll open the hive tomorrow, and if there's no new eggs in other frames, I think I'll run with this suggestion. Three people now have suggested getting rid of this queen, so it seems a common thing to do in these circumstances.

Thanks everybody for all the input. What a great forum!

 

Williams Honey Farm should have some queens and nucs available in your area. https://williamshoneyfarm.com/