queen not laying

[heaflaw]

We have had 5 days in a row with rain/cold weather.  When I checked one of my hives the first day the bees were able to forage, I saw no eggs.  Does a queen stop laying when there is a temporary cessation in the honey flow?

[JP]

I think more than anything, she would temporarily stop laying due to cold weather. Once things warm a bit, you should see her laying again and the other bees in the hive active again.


...JP

[Brian D. Bray]

We have had 5 days in a row with rain/cold weather.  When I checked one of my hives the first day the bees were able to forage, I saw no eggs.  Does a queen stop laying when there is a temporary cessation in the honey flow?

Queens will stop laying eggs for several reasons: 1. Dearth, 2. Drought, 3. Honey bound, 4. Weather conditions (sparadic weather with prolonged cold periods that force the bees to recluster), 5. Prior to Swarming, and 6. Queen failure (she's no longer fertile or viable).

I would wait until you have several days of good weather and check again, it is possible the queen will begin laying again.  The other senerios are that the queen was killed somehow during hive manipulation or was killed by the worker bees in which case you should have noticed supercedure cells.

[heaflaw]

I found out the reason: I saw 2 swarms come out of that hive.  I was able to hive one of them and the other got away.  I checked today and there was no brood but 6 sealed queen cells and at least 2 opened queen cells.  I think the prime swarm with the old queen had left before my original check when I saw no eggs.  (Or maybe something had happened to her)  It's a very strong hive.  I was able to use 3 queen cells to hopefully make 3 new hives.