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Author Topic: 2 eggs in cell/ Inspection  (Read 3701 times)

Offline JordanM

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2 eggs in cell/ Inspection
« on: May 17, 2008, 06:26:38 pm »
I just came from taking the queen cage out there was about a 3'' by 5'' piece of comb on it and there were babys layed in every cell. Some cells had 2 eggs in them does this matter and is it good, i dont think the workers can build comb as fast as she is laying in them and therefore she lays 2 eggs, the eggs were all the way in the very bottom as far as they can go. There was also 2 cells with pollen in them and about 10 full of nectar. The 2 frames to both sides had the same amount of comb built on them but i did not inspect, because it is only there 2nd day in the hive and did not want to bug them. I will go in in 10 days and do a full inspection.

Does this sound right. I thought it was pretty good hearing that some queens dont start laying till 2 weeks. i installed the package on the 15 of May and put a piece of marshmallow in her hole in the queen cage.

Offline annette

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Re: 2 eggs in cell/ Inspection
« Reply #1 on: May 17, 2008, 06:36:07 pm »
They are fine and you are probably correct about this.

Offline Michael Bush

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Offline JordanM

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Re: 2 eggs in cell/ Inspection
« Reply #3 on: May 17, 2008, 09:22:37 pm »
So i guess i have a good queen and a good pattern every cell was filled none skipped.

When should be the next time i inspect.

Offline annette

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Re: 2 eggs in cell/ Inspection
« Reply #4 on: May 17, 2008, 11:44:17 pm »
For a new beekeeper, once a week is good to keep on top of things.

Offline JordanM

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Re: 2 eggs in cell/ Inspection
« Reply #5 on: May 18, 2008, 09:46:25 am »
I want to go in right now is a week the soonest i should go in and see.

Offline MustbeeNuts

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Re: 2 eggs in cell/ Inspection
« Reply #6 on: May 18, 2008, 09:49:03 am »
Heck I go in there every couple days. I am sure once the novelty runs down, it won't be so often but I need to fill the drinkers each day so in I go. they don't seem to mind at all although yesterday they did get a little feisty, I got a sting in the glove, but it missed me. LOL
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Offline JordanM

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Re: 2 eggs in cell/ Inspection
« Reply #7 on: May 18, 2008, 10:15:27 am »
They have only drank about a quart of sugar water so im guessing there is a nectar flow going on now and i should stop feeding in a little but. I will probly go in onThursday and check them out.

Offline KONASDAD

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Re: 2 eggs in cell/ Inspection
« Reply #8 on: May 18, 2008, 10:53:07 am »
As a beginner, inspect often. It does set them back, but is needed. Just peek in to see some signs of them progressing and close back up. Since they are snmall in numbers, use sugar water spray instead of smoke and it will bother them less. Double eggs are common after banking queen or first time laying queens after nuptial flight. They will drink as much sugar water as they need. The flow should be begining so they prefer natural sources
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Offline deejaycee

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Re: 2 eggs in cell/ Inspection
« Reply #9 on: May 18, 2008, 10:46:35 pm »
On the double eggs, i can also attest that a queen can and will lay more than one egg in a cell.

This last spring we bought 12 hives single 3/4 depth boxes, ten frames in each - all drawn comb and moderate supplies.  Young queens in all and just started laying.

We SHOULD have got a second box on those hives a week after we got em - the farm was blooming and the girls were on their feet and running straight away. 

Weather and work conspired - it was near four weeks before we got them those boxes.  By which stage, 11 of the 12 were busting at the seams - queens laying areas were being badly compressed by honey and pollen, and there were two or three eggs in the cells in nearly half the hives. 

Without sighting the queens (it was worse than standing room only - nigh on impossible to see them), I was satisfied that they were queen-laid eggs because of the circumstances, and because although there were multiples they were all laid in the BOTTOM of the cells of fully drawn comb, not on the sides, and not in the bottom of short cells - ie, the girl that laid em had to have a loooong body.

In your circumstance I'd also think you're correct in that they are queen laid.

Offline JordanM

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Re: 2 eggs in cell/ Inspection
« Reply #10 on: May 18, 2008, 10:55:12 pm »
When they lay 2 eggs in a cell will both eggs hatch?

Offline annette

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Re: 2 eggs in cell/ Inspection
« Reply #11 on: May 18, 2008, 10:59:24 pm »
I am pretty sure the bees will get rid of one of them and only one will develop.

Offline deejaycee

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Re: 2 eggs in cell/ Inspection
« Reply #12 on: May 18, 2008, 11:01:32 pm »
agree with Annette.   They'll sort it out and only raise one per cell.  If you look at the size of a larvae by the time it caps the cell - there's just not room for two.

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: 2 eggs in cell/ Inspection
« Reply #13 on: May 18, 2008, 11:09:34 pm »
>When they lay 2 eggs in a cell will both eggs hatch?

Hatch, yes.  But shortly after they will remove one of the larvae.
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Offline Scadsobees

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Re: 2 eggs in cell/ Inspection
« Reply #14 on: May 19, 2008, 09:44:47 am »
Interesting, I was looking at a frame of newly capped drones, there were a few that stuck out further than the rest, and there were in fact more than one larvae/pupae inside some of them!  They were a little cramped, but both were developing.  I haven't had time to inspect any further, but I think I will soon.  This was definately happening in multiple cells.  I don't think that I've seen anything like it with workers, though.  I find drone comb/brood to be a little more messy and disorderly compared to worker brood, so maybe they don't care as much.

Rick

Offline hooyaman

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Re: 2 eggs in cell/ Inspection
« Reply #15 on: June 12, 2008, 12:04:30 am »
I just wanted to mention , since nobody talked about the possibility of having laying workers. i was reading last nite that a hive that has lost their queen and didnt have the means to make another queen would start laying eggs. It said how you tell if you have laying workers was seeing 2 eggs per cell. I would check again and see if there are still 2 eggs per cell. If thats the case there is a way to fix the problem b-4 your hive dies out. I read this in beekeeping for dummies. Im not trying to say that is the case with your hive, but it might be worth checking out.  michael bush could probably tell you more about laying workers and how to get rid of them.