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Author Topic: drone laying queen?  (Read 2254 times)

Offline ajneal30

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drone laying queen?
« on: March 09, 2014, 11:40:04 pm »
It was finally warm enough to inspect my hives for the spring. Most were doing very well, very strong and still plenty of feed in the hive. All had capped brood. One however had almost as much drone brood as worker and a ugly pattern. None of the other hives have any drone brood, not even my really strong hives. I think this queen must have been poorly mated and will need to be replaced, but I wanted to know what you all thought.

Offline BeeDog

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Re: drone laying queen?
« Reply #1 on: March 10, 2014, 08:42:28 am »
How many frames does the hive have?
When did the queen been mated and started laying eggs?
It is highly recommend that split be done with only strong healthy hives that have at least two Brood Chambers with Brood in all stages of development. Frames with capped Brood should be split evenly between the two hives.

Offline ajneal30

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Re: drone laying queen?
« Reply #2 on: March 11, 2014, 12:25:32 am »
She has three medium supers, I would say one box completely full of brood or food stores, one partially full of honey or pollen and one mostly empty. She was a queen we got last spring in a package, marked red supposed to be a 2013 queen.

Offline RHBee

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Re: drone laying queen?
« Reply #3 on: March 11, 2014, 12:35:58 am »
I wouldn't count her out yet. She might simply being raising drones for spring.
Later,
Ray

Offline sc-bee

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Re: drone laying queen?
« Reply #4 on: March 11, 2014, 01:32:54 am »
 >and a ugly pattern

this might be the key though along with the number of drones compared to your other hives. If you are sure it ain't hygiene.
John 3:16

Offline rwlaw

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Re: drone laying queen?
« Reply #5 on: March 11, 2014, 09:18:06 am »
Give her a couple weeks.. Had a queen like that last year, my bud said most likley it was a infection in her egg/sperm sheathing, she can't control what she's laying. If that's the case, in a couple weeks they'll likely try to supercede her or maybe it'll clear up. Mine just quit laying altogether.
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Offline T Beek

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Re: drone laying queen?
« Reply #6 on: March 11, 2014, 10:21:23 am »
It was finally warm enough to inspect my hives for the spring. Most were doing very well, very strong and still plenty of feed in the hive. All had capped brood. One however had almost as much drone brood as worker and a ugly pattern. None of the other hives have any drone brood, not even my really strong hives. I think this queen must have been poorly mated and will need to be replaced, but I wanted to know what you all thought.

Have you 'seen' the queen?  

IMO; Drone layers shouldn't be ignored.  Minimally you should give the colony a frame of brood (in all stages, eggs, capped and not capped) from another colony.  If its queenless or not queen- right for whatever reasons, they will then have the 'resources' to make another queen.  

If there is a viable queen they'll appreciate the added numbers….you can't really go wrong and won't hurt anything by adding a frame of brood whenever a colony is having queen issues.  Waiting isn't an option IMO….
"Trust those who seek the truth, doubt those who say they've found it."

Offline ajneal30

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Re: drone laying queen?
« Reply #7 on: March 13, 2014, 12:29:35 am »
I did see the queen, she is there and she is laying. NONE of my other hives have a single drone cell. Only her and her hive isn't really strong. Not strong enough that she would be ready to start producing drones. It has also been pretty cold here still. It just seems fishy to me.

Offline RHBee

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Re: drone laying queen?
« Reply #8 on: March 13, 2014, 02:57:14 am »
I did see the queen, she is there and she is laying. NONE of my other hives have a single drone cell. Only her and her hive isn't really strong. Not strong enough that she would be ready to start producing drones. It has also been pretty cold here still. It just seems fishy to me.

What breed are we talking about?  Russian,  Italian or unknown? There are differences in the way they act. Is there worker brood as well as drone?
Later,
Ray

Offline T Beek

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Re: drone laying queen?
« Reply #9 on: March 13, 2014, 07:30:20 am »
I did see the queen, she is there and she is laying. NONE of my other hives have a single drone cell. Only her and her hive isn't really strong. Not strong enough that she would be ready to start producing drones. It has also been pretty cold here still. It just seems fishy to me.

If it were me and mine….I'd get a new queen in there asap.  I think you've got a drone layer…..based on the description.
"Trust those who seek the truth, doubt those who say they've found it."

Offline ajneal30

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Re: drone laying queen?
« Reply #10 on: March 15, 2014, 11:04:11 pm »
She's a Russian/Carniolan cross. Is there any where you can even get a queen this early in the year?

Offline RHBee

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Re: drone laying queen?
« Reply #11 on: March 16, 2014, 12:37:34 am »
She's a Russian/Carniolan cross. Is there any where you can even get a queen this early in the year?

Both of those races winter with a small cluster. Both build up very quickly in the spring. They have very different qualities than the Italians. I personally would see what she does when spring hits.
How many colonies do you have? Are they all the same race?
Later,
Ray

Offline ajneal30

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Re: drone laying queen?
« Reply #12 on: March 16, 2014, 10:18:00 pm »
I have seven colonies, all the same from the same place.

Offline RHBee

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Re: drone laying queen?
« Reply #13 on: March 16, 2014, 10:48:51 pm »
I have seven colonies, all the same from the same place.

Ok, I amend my suggested course of action. If she is that different,  remove her as soon as there are drones in your other hives. Use a frame of eggs from one of your other colonies put it in this colony and let them raise another queen. You could combine now then split later. Any way you go this queen needs pinched.
Later,
Ray