Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: fshrgy99 on May 09, 2013, 04:35:08 pm
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I looked through my hive competely for the first time this spring. I was a little surprised that I didn't see more capped brood. Photo 1 was the most I could see and IMO it is not a grest looking pattern. Do the raised caps indicate that it is drone brood? I did see some uncapped larva but not a huge amount. Picture 2 is a mystery to me. It kind of looks like masses of eggs. Sorry for the quality. Any input would be welcome. BTW lots of honey.
Thanks
Dennis
(http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee23/fshrgy99/whatisit2.jpg) (http://s229.photobucket.com/user/fshrgy99/media/whatisit2.jpg.html)
(http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee23/fshrgy99/bees/whatisit.jpg) (http://s229.photobucket.com/user/fshrgy99/media/bees/whatisit.jpg.html)
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the first one is a very spotty brood pattern. Keep a eye on that one Your queen could be failing. The 2nd pic is honey at the top, alot of pollen and the white stuff maybe sugar stored in cells
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Right ... maybe sugar ...didn't even occur to me as I haven't fed them for some time.
Thanks Danno
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Can't really see close enough but it does look like crystallized honey or sugar in those cells.
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Danno is almost right. You have a drone laying queen. Find her and dispose of her and requeen the hive, if you have enough workers to keep the new brood warm for 21 days.
Yes, #2 is sugar.
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Iddee, doesn't look like there is more than 50% drone and i think she's gone back to lay in the empty cells.
pictures are kind of hard to see. as to the pattern, can't tell if she's gone back to lay in the empty cells. if she's refilling them as they hatch out, it's not a bad pattern.
I was a little surprised that I didn't see more capped brood
what about uncapped brood? how many frames and the pattern?
if you had a change of queens already, what you are holding might be the last from the old queen. did you get any pictures of other frames?
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Spotty brood pattern could be an indication of some EFB but the drones here and there indicated she may be petering out. I'd requeen, You could put her in a nuc and see what happens but I'd say there's a queen issue.
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(http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee23/fshrgy99/bees/DSC03209.jpg) (http://s229.photobucket.com/user/fshrgy99/media/bees/DSC03209.jpg.html)
(http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee23/fshrgy99/bees/DSC03208.jpg) (http://s229.photobucket.com/user/fshrgy99/media/bees/DSC03208.jpg.html)
(http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee23/fshrgy99/bees/DSC03207.jpg) (http://s229.photobucket.com/user/fshrgy99/media/bees/DSC03207.jpg.html)
(http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee23/fshrgy99/bees/DSC03206.jpg) (http://s229.photobucket.com/user/fshrgy99/media/bees/DSC03206.jpg.html)
(http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee23/fshrgy99/bees/whatisit3.jpg) (http://s229.photobucket.com/user/fshrgy99/media/bees/whatisit3.jpg.html)
(http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee23/fshrgy99/bees/DSC03204.jpg) (http://s229.photobucket.com/user/fshrgy99/media/bees/DSC03204.jpg.html)
(http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee23/fshrgy99/bees/DSC03202.jpg) (http://s229.photobucket.com/user/fshrgy99/media/bees/DSC03202.jpg.html)
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OMG is that my queen in the top cluster on the second honey frame?
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don't think you have one. when i looked closely, i saw eggs and saw multiple eggs in cells. at first i was thinking that you might have a new queen, but i found a section where i could see right down into the cells and it looks like the eggs are all over the place and on the sides.
on the 1st frame of bees it looks like you may even be able to see a couple of workers backed into cells.
look carefully again and see if you see the same.
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Well, Kathy, it looks like you agree now that they are all drones under the caps. The small domes are because the drones are being raised in a worker cell. The best thing to do here is a shake out.
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Well, Kathy, it looks like you agree now that they are all drones under the caps.
i do. better pictures and enlargment :-D
but...not a failing queen. :evil: