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Author Topic: No New eggs  (Read 4148 times)

Offline fstmkt

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No New eggs
« on: June 24, 2007, 03:40:44 pm »
I hived a new package 4 weeks ago, along with a new Queen...the first two weeks I saw new comb and eggs. The fourth week no new comb and only capped brood. I am new to beekeeping and have a hard time finding the queen. Should I replace the queen, assuming she is dead?       

Offline Mici

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Re: No New eggs
« Reply #1 on: June 24, 2007, 04:33:41 pm »
it's not always queen's fault.
maybe there's a dearth, are you feeding? if there's no nectar coming in, queens sometimes stop laying etc etc. describe your situation more closely.

Offline fstmkt

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Re: No New eggs
« Reply #2 on: June 24, 2007, 05:41:18 pm »
I've been feeding them since hiving...but they stopped feeding last week....dearth???

Offline Mici

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Re: No New eggs
« Reply #3 on: June 24, 2007, 05:51:30 pm »
I've been feeding them since hiving...but they stopped feeding last week....dearth???

did you stop feeding, or you mean they stopped taking?
if they stopped taking, and four weeks?!?!? did you see any empty cells, they might be honey bound.

dearth is a lack of nectar flow-when things that bloom don't give nectar, or there aren't any flowers blooming.

Offline fstmkt

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Re: No New eggs
« Reply #4 on: June 24, 2007, 06:09:43 pm »
They stopped taking it. There are quite a few empty cells...Some capped brood and larva.

Offline Mici

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Re: No New eggs
« Reply #5 on: June 24, 2007, 06:42:28 pm »
hummm
do another inspection and really take a good look at the ammount of empty cells, and the ammount of honey. also, look if there are any queen cells. from your description i'd say positive for honey bound. i'd say you should take one honey-frame out and put an empty one in. if they were honey bound, the queen will quickly lay it.

i really don't know what else i could advise you, i hope other will join this tread.

Offline fstmkt

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Re: No New eggs
« Reply #6 on: June 24, 2007, 06:57:56 pm »
Even though there is only 4 frames of drawn comb?

Offline Mici

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Re: No New eggs
« Reply #7 on: June 24, 2007, 07:13:23 pm »
good thing you said it :-D
no, don't do what i just advised you, i didn't think they're that weak.

in that case...they're probably just too weak to expand, and now, in the fourth week, the situation is probably the most critical, number of bees has dwindled a great deal, but they new ones are just taking their places.

i hope you don't have them in a 10 frame hive box?? if so, limit their space to the ammount they can fill.

i really can't tell what the cause of lack of eggs is:
-honey bound
-poor queen
-too weak colony-they don't allow her to lay any more.


i really, can't advise you any more, or should i say, i shouldn't, i'm just not experienced enough, plus i might misslead you like i almost already did.
wait a day, so the veterans may answer you.

Offline Kathyp

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Re: No New eggs
« Reply #8 on: June 25, 2007, 11:28:25 am »
or they may be replacing the queen.  that has been reported by many with packages.  or they are taking a break.

are you also feeding a pollen patties?  they'll use that for brood rearing.

if you can take another look for eggs, or at least very young larvae, you'll have a better idea about your queen.  if you have all stages of eggs and larvae she's probably still there and waiting for the gang to build her more space.
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Offline randydrivesabus

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Re: No New eggs
« Reply #9 on: June 27, 2007, 01:32:14 pm »
do you have a stronger hive started at the same time? switch hive positions.

Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: No New eggs
« Reply #10 on: July 01, 2007, 04:34:47 am »
New hives often grow in sperts.  They draw comb, the queen lays eggs, the brood is capped.  There's not enough bees to cover more area until the brood hatches so the population growth halts for a week or 2.  Once the new bees hatch the queen lays more eggs, more comb is drawn so there is space for all the bees, so this time more eggs are laid.  The process repeats itself over and over until there is enough adult bees and drawn comb so that the process can become more or less continuous.

This is very apparent in a package that decides to supercede the queen with the first crop of brood. 
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