Author Topic: Nuc with no pollen & queen laying 2-3 eggs per cell (Read 3990 times)

Glenasmole · « **on:** April 16, 2014, 10:24:09 am »

Morning everyone,

I have a small hive that I put back in a nuc 2 weeks ago. I had a look yesterday and the queen is laying 2-3 eggs per cell and there is no pollen coming into the hive. I think there is not enough bees to rear the young and collect pollen. They have a couple of frames of stores either side of the brood nest. I would think there is around 1.5 cups of bees in there.

Would it be a good idea to take a frame of capped brood from my other strong hive and put it into the nuc to try and boost numbers. With all the young bees emerging that should allow the older bees to go and forage? Or if you have any other suggestions?

Thanks in advance...

Olly

P6te · « **Reply #1 on:** April 16, 2014, 12:59:00 pm »

Hi Olly,

To be honest I think you are going to loose this colony. If the queen is laying 2 to 3 eggs in a cell the things that spring to mind are:

1. Are you sure there is a queen in the hive at all? This is not the normal pattern for a queen and if you do have one there I would say she is failing.
2. I suspect you do not have a queen but have laying workers.
3. I would not put the brood cell in the neuc, with so few bees it is unlikely they will be able to keep them warm and you will get chilled brood and they won't hatch anyway. If as I suspect you are going to loose the hive then you have been better off leaving the brood where it is.

So ... to conclude, in my opinion you can write this one off. Sorry.

Pete

Glenasmole · « **Reply #2 on:** April 16, 2014, 01:28:20 pm »

Hi Pete,

thanks for the reply, I was hoping that I could get it going and starting to build up.

There is a 2013 mated queen in there, she seems ok to look at (saw her yesterday) and was a great strong nuc in the Autumn, the reason why I put it in the hive. I had read that after the winter that a queen may lay several eggs per cell until she gets back in the rhythm, and with so few house bees around to keep on top of things they don't have the bees to tidy up and leave one per cell.

I'll see if I can get a frame with some pollen on it and put it in and see what happens.

Olly

cloddopper · « **Reply #3 on:** April 18, 2014, 11:01:16 pm »

I'd risk a frame of capped brood from another hive.
If it takes off the hive is likely to go off like a rocket .

You could also swap places hive for hive . The bees on the healthy hive frames will tend to stay with the hive & some will turn their skills to foraging when needed what ever happens .

So long as you have 12 feet or so between hives the flying bees from the healthy hive will go to the weak hive at the new site and start to take care of things if there is any new eggs on the imported frame so much the better for if the queen is barren or in ill health the bees will draw out new queen cells and move good eggs to them .

VEG · « **Reply #4 on:** April 19, 2014, 06:34:49 pm »

I wouldnt risk swapping the hives around unless you know why the weak hive is slow to build, could have nosema.

P6te · « **Reply #5 on:** April 19, 2014, 09:01:08 pm »

I agree entirely with Veg and as I previously said I'm afraid I'd write this one off. If your other hive is strong you will soon be looking at swarm control and can increase your stock then in a controlled way.

Pete

cloddopper · « **Reply #6 on:** April 20, 2014, 11:23:14 pm »

This little problem brings out the good practice of making a couple of strong neuc boxes up as soon as you can .. You can always unite them if their are not needed.

Glenasmole · « **Reply #7 on:** June 25, 2014, 01:27:36 pm »

Thanks for all the replies, I managed to keep her laying and building up slowly for the last while, I re-queened that colony yesterday evening with a mated, marked and clipped queen from my apidea. So fingers crossed they accept her and the hive continues to grow.