Queen won't lay

Draginol · May 20, 2008, 12:12:00 AM

I have a hive I set up from a package. It's been there for about 3 weeks and there's plenty of drawn comb. But the queen just won't lay eggs. Needless to say, the hive is getting smaller and smaller as workers die off. What should I do?

BMAC · May 20, 2008, 09:38:11 AM

kill the queen and put a new one in there to replace her.

Scadsobees · May 20, 2008, 09:42:13 AM

You need a little tiny whip. She needs to be reminded why she's there!! :roll: :evil:

Seriously, do you know there is still a queen in there? If so, then I concur with BMAC.

Or if you have another hive with brood, you maybe should try to take a frame of brood from that hive and put it in this hive, and see what they do.

Rick

derrick1p1 · May 20, 2008, 05:46:39 PM

If you have some brood you can give her, try that and keep an eye out to see if she starts laying soon. If not, requeen.

I had a queen that didn't start laying until 14 days after emergence and I was getting worried. Had she not started when she did, I may have had to take action.

Draginol · May 23, 2008, 08:42:58 PM

Today I took the queen and a few of her workers and put them into a nuc. The rest I left in the hive and gave some brood to to let them raise their own queen.

I couldn't bear to just kill her. But it was interesting watching her today up close with her attendants working. I wish I had a video camera as it was fascinating. The girl is really really trying to lay. She moves from cell to cell with attendants all around her helping direct her but no eggs come out. It's been over 3 weeks since she was released so I think she definitely has something wrong with her. It's just so sad watching her trying her hardest but not being able to do anything.

Hopefully her original hive will be able to get another queen up and going before they dwindle to nothing.

It's been a bit of a sad year so far. One nuc that utterly died and a non-laying queen in a new package. I've still got 6 working hives at least.

Greg Peck · May 24, 2008, 01:06:35 AM

My package supplier told me to let them know if the queens did not lay. I assumed they would have given me a new queen had mine not did her job. You may check with your supplier to see if they will help you out. They might mail you a new queen. Cant hurt to ask.

JP · May 24, 2008, 08:02:47 AM

Quote from: Greg Peck on May 24, 2008, 01:06:35 AM
My package supplier told me to let them know if the queens did not lay. I assumed they would have given me a new queen had mine not did her job. You may check with your supplier to see if they will help you out. They might mail you a new queen. Cant hurt to ask.

This is what I would do. Contact your supploer asap.

...JP

Moonshae · May 24, 2008, 09:02:49 AM

This is my situation, too, with one of my packages. Just looked today, and the queen in one of them has a very small abdomen and there are no eggs. I'm gonna call them Monday and see if they'll send a replacement.