Hi, I have a Nuc that I think is queen less, advice welcome please based on situation below:
-Made Nuc with a frame with 2 unsealed emergency cells end July
-First queen emerged 1 Aug (2nd cell was in process of emerging but bees holding back)
-Left them to it
-Added test frame of a patch of eggs on 15 Aug (know this was a bit early but conscious getting later in season)
-Eggs on Test frame turned out to be drone brood, but they started to draw a queen cell from one of these cells
-Added another test frame on 20 Aug, with eggs, young larvae & sealed worker brood. This time no queen cells made, took down the drone brood 'queen cell' down in case this was influencing
-No sign of a laying queen, no eggs in Nuc at next inspection
-Added final test frame on 31 Aug with eggs, young larvae
-Checked test frame this morning (4 days later) & no queen cells
There is no sign of a laying queen, either worker or drone layer; behaviour wise they are not as quiet as I would expect a queen right nuc to be. Yet, if they are queen less why aren't they making emergency queen cells (except on the first drone egg comb)?
Could this be down to the fact that drones in other hives are being thrown out, so they think it's now too late to make a queen?
Or, do you think this all suggests there is a queen? If so, as she emerged 1 Aug it's odd & she's not laying eggs of any type (drone or worker). I've looked v carefully & successfully found 11 other new queens this season
I have a queenright Nuc that needs bolstering, that I could unite this to, but don't want any harm to come to the good queen in this Nuc
Thoughts / advice please
Elaine
-Made Nuc with a frame with 2 unsealed emergency cells end July
-First queen emerged 1 Aug (2nd cell was in process of emerging but bees holding back)
-Left them to it
-Added test frame of a patch of eggs on 15 Aug (know this was a bit early but conscious getting later in season)
-Eggs on Test frame turned out to be drone brood, but they started to draw a queen cell from one of these cells
-Added another test frame on 20 Aug, with eggs, young larvae & sealed worker brood. This time no queen cells made, took down the drone brood 'queen cell' down in case this was influencing
-No sign of a laying queen, no eggs in Nuc at next inspection
-Added final test frame on 31 Aug with eggs, young larvae
-Checked test frame this morning (4 days later) & no queen cells
There is no sign of a laying queen, either worker or drone layer; behaviour wise they are not as quiet as I would expect a queen right nuc to be. Yet, if they are queen less why aren't they making emergency queen cells (except on the first drone egg comb)?
Could this be down to the fact that drones in other hives are being thrown out, so they think it's now too late to make a queen?
Or, do you think this all suggests there is a queen? If so, as she emerged 1 Aug it's odd & she's not laying eggs of any type (drone or worker). I've looked v carefully & successfully found 11 other new queens this season
I have a queenright Nuc that needs bolstering, that I could unite this to, but don't want any harm to come to the good queen in this Nuc
Thoughts / advice please
Elaine