Late season problems

lilprincess · September 05, 2016, 04:53:29 PM

Since this is my first hive I want to make sure they are ok.

Four weeks ago I checked on the bees and they were busy building comb in the new large super box I put on two weeks before. Two weeks later, all production had stopped on that super and there were written cells. I waited two weeks for the new queen to do what she does and checked again today. Most of the queen cells had hatched. The were still capped. There is no new brood at all and the honey is low. It doesn't look like they have been able to do anything in the last two weeks. I checked each super and the brood box and couldn't see a single egg or larvae. A couple bees hatching or capped. There were quite a few drones still.

So where do I go from here? Just wait and see? I'm assuming I'm going to have to supplement this winter some we are in new England. Anything I can do now?

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Oldbeavo · September 06, 2016, 08:51:02 AM

Can you find the queen?
Was the new queen a cell or a caged queen?

Oldbeavo · September 06, 2016, 08:57:10 AM

Please explain "written cells"
( Most of the queen cells had hatched. The were still capped) were they hatched or torn down, hole in the side.

lilprincess · September 06, 2016, 10:20:35 AM

Sorry, I thought I had proof read it. Most of the cells were open. One looked ripped open, the others were only open on the end.

Could not find the queen, but I've only found her once in the beginning. The original queen came with the bees in the box, and was doing really well until August when the new brood just seemed to stop.

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lilprincess · September 06, 2016, 11:12:38 PM

Because production on the top super had stopped and they still hasn't started filling the cells, I took it off. I figured they would do better without trying to protect and filed the top box. Hopefully this helps. But if they don't have a queen I'm at a loss as what to do.

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Matt J · September 07, 2016, 07:39:18 AM

One of my queens completely stopped laying in Late July/Early August. I was worried the last 2 weeks of August that I didn't have a queen. Looked yesterday, and there is now a lot of brood in the hive. Guess the dearth is to blame. But I don't guess me reassuring you about your queen not laying in August will help right now. I am new as well, but if I couldn't find a queen, or eggs, I would take a frame of eggs from another hive and give it to them to make a queen. But I'm In Alabama and have a lot more time than you do in Mass. If I were you I'd try to buy a mated queen. Unless you have another hive you can combine with for the winter, and split in the spring.

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lilprincess · September 09, 2016, 08:40:59 AM

So I guess that's another reason to start a new hive next. So I have a spare. I can use that as an excuse to get more bees, and maybe my husband will believe me!