Weird looking brood - sick?

[OldMech]

LOL

[AR Beekeeper]

Ziffabeek, how is the colony doing? Has the disease problem cleared up?

[ziffabeek]

Just a quick update for some of you who asked.  Sorry to take so long getting back here!  Busy life.  Tooo busy.

I followed Michael's advice (well, except maybe that bit about the worrying . .  .)  and pinched the queen (my first queen pinch /cry).  Then I added a frame of honey, frame of nectar/pollen and a frame of brood with eggs, larva and some capped.  Closed them up. 

That was on April 4th.  When I got back from travels I checked them on the 22nd.  I saw no queen cells and no eggs and no brood.  But i figured if they had made a queen, she probably wasn't laying yet.  Was hoping I might have seen the remnants of a queen cell, but didn't see anything that looked like it.  I added a frame of eggs (Michael Bush/Iddee style - when in doubt, add a frame of eggs.)  Checked them again on this last Sunday.  Still saw no signs of a queen or eggs.  They were, though, and have always been since I pinched, pretty dang calm.  I added a frame of half capped brood with eggs and larva, just in case.  That afternoon I saw a small orientation flight.  Hubby reports that on Monday there was quite a large one.

So.  I plan on checking again this weekend to see if I can find a queen and/or eggs or brood.  They are definitely pulling in nectar and had filled quite a bit of the comb.  They still don't have as much pollen as I would like, but have seem to be in a better spot than a month ago.

I will report back after this weekend.  Fingers crossed I can find a queen and she is laying and healthy. 

Thanks for your comments and care!

Happy Spring All,

love,
ziffa

[Rurification]

Thanks for the update, Ziffa.     I learn a lot from posts like these and a longer term perspective really helps out.     Hope the colony is well next time you check.