This is my first year keeping bees. I opened my hives for the 2nd time today. I noticed green and black mold on the underside of the top ( I'm using a hive top feeder). I noticed some cells that appeared to have a black substance in the hive. The other two hives did not have this. Is there pollen out there that could be that dark or is it something else? Lastly, one hive had a couple of cells that had two eggs. Is this impending doom? I didnt see the queen but everything else about the frames seemed normal. Any wisdom is appreciated.
Not sure about the black stuff. Do the bees look and act healthy? A healthy hive will do house cleaning is why I ask.
Are the eggs in the bottom of the cells, like all the way? Queens will lay more than one egg per cell sometimes, in the bottom of the cells. Laying workers will lay multiple eggs, but can't quite reach the bottom to deposit the eggs.
Just keep an eye on them, and look to see that you have a good pattern of worker brood from your queen. Don't jump the gun on the laying worker idea, everything is prob just fine.
...JP
Two eggs is nothing to worry about. I looked in a nuc today that has only tiny cluster and the queen had layed multiple eggs in every cell. I'm sure it's because they can only keep a small brood nest and she can lay far more than that. I saw and marked the queen.
JP's advice is right on. A queen when young will lay multiple eggs in one cell. They are at the very bottom of the cell, right in the deepest part. Egg laying workers attach their eggs to the side because their abdomens are too short to deliver the egg to the bottom. They also are very disorganized eggs. They have multiple eggs in numerous locations w/in a cell. A young quuen lay mutiple eggs that will be so close together they look like a "v" at the bottom of the cell, and the laying pattern is more organized.
Quote from: siloam beeman on April 06, 2008, 11:13:40 PM
I noticed some cells that appeared to have a black substance in the hive. The other two hives did not have this. Is there pollen out there that could be that dark or is it something else? .
My first year with bees, during one of my first inspections, I saw random cells filled with what looked like used motor oil; the other cells had normal looking pollen and nectar. I don't know what it was, and haven't seen it since, but it was a strong colony and did quite well.
Thanks for the advise. I believe the eggs were all the way to the bottom but I will double check.