BBKA Forum

So like many other beekeepers around the country, I've taken the opportunity to have a look at my colonies in this unseasonably warm weather.
I only had two colonies going into winter, one strong, the other less so.

The inspection has shown that the strong one is doing well but the other one is queenless although with reasonable numbers and stores.
I have donated a frame of eggs across from the strong colony in the hope that they'll raise a queen.

However, am I wasting my time doing this so early in the season? Even if a queen is successfully reared, surely there won't be any drones around for her to mate with for quite a while yet, even if we've seen the back of winter and spring is well and truly on the way.

If a colony has reasonable numbers and stores, that to me suggests it isnt queenless. Can I ask what makes you think it is queenless?

I suspect you looked and didnt see any brood, thats not something to be surprised at. I believe most colonies now will have some form of brood but not much and there might not be much sealed. My suspicion would be that some colonies might not have any brood depending on their heritage.

Adding a frame of eggs is fine, but you are correct, even if they do raise a queen cell on the frame and it hatches, then there either isnt any drones to mate with or there are no days of sufficient warmth for a mating flight.

I personally would not go back in, simply because there is nothing you can do. I would just wait till April and conduct a proper inspection then. Come April you either will have a functioning hive or you wont. Either way, all you can do is wait.

I would not shake out the bees or any thing dramatic like that purely because you may be incorrect in your observations.
I would make sure they both have sufficient stores on them and if not add fondant.
I would also observe the entrance and if any bees are bringing pollen in, then this is an indicator that there is a laying queen in there. Good luck Buster with whatever you decide.

As with Chris.
It is probably too early to say for sure....worth checking the added frame for queen cells on a nice warm day.
If they are producing queen cells, one possibility might be to unite to strong hive before drone layers kick in.

Good post Buster - exactly the sort of problem we all wrestle with from time to time.

Hindsight will probably tell you whatever. I agree absence of brood alone is unreliable for queens absence and you are probably fine tbh.

I know lots of books talk about equalising hives but its something for much later in the season if at all. What you might do with dozens of hives may not be sensible with one or two swapping combs about. It won’t have done any harm just the one.

Don’t (for the best of reasons) however ever compromise your one good hive for the sake of a probably knackered colony. You may within weeks be managing a big artificial swarm and have two big colonies headed by young great queens instead of a maybe one good and another less so.

Great advice from Patrick.

The colony with no brood (as has been posted, it might be too early to be sure it is queenless) would appear to be able to look after the donated brood. If queencells are raised, then the colony is probably queenless; in which case it can be united to the queenright one using the newspaper method. If eggs are laid, do check to see if the eggs turn into drones before you unite; colonies don't really want drones at this time of the year, so they can be reluctant to raise them even if the queen is present and laying.
With a frame of brood in the hive, the queen, if present, is more likely to be found on that frame; so for the next inspection, slide the frames across with little smoke and fuss and take the inserted brood frame out first and see if she is there - before she has a chance to run away.

Thanks for the advice. It may be that the weak colony does still have a queen that I haven't spotted, but all the usual signs imply she is not there (no brood or eggs, no pollen coming in).
I am aware that there isn't much more I can do about it now - just wait and see what develops.

As suggested, the main thing though, is to ensure the strong colony continues to thrive, and that I don't do anything more to weaken that one.

Thanks.

in that case, good luck with the strong colony.