More than one egg per cell

Bighead · June 18, 2009, 05:57:38 PM

My wife was taking pictures today while I was checking my bee hive. When I was looking at the pictures I notice more than one egg per cell. Is this a defective queen because she is present, or a laying worker, and will they tolerate each other. Their are not very many drone cell either. This is my first hive.

John Schwartz · June 18, 2009, 06:05:12 PM

First guess is laying worker... however, how old is the hive? Is it strong? How long has current queen been going? (Have you seen her lately?)

Kathyp · June 18, 2009, 06:07:47 PM

bighead, can you go into your profile and list your location?

you know the queen is there? what does your brood pattern look like? how old is the queen? are you sure that the queen that is in there is the same one you started with?

Bighead · June 18, 2009, 06:09:36 PM

The package was installed last week of march, I did see the queen today. It is my first hive but i think it is a fairly strong hive. I live in central NC

homer · June 18, 2009, 06:12:26 PM

I don't believe that it is completely impossible for your queen to lay more than one egg per cell. It's not too common but it can happen. One thing to look for is if the eggs are all on the bottom of the cell, or on the sides. The queen isn't likely to lay eggs on the sides, but she could lay more than one egg in the bottom.

Kathyp · June 18, 2009, 06:14:42 PM

i'm wondering if your hive swapped out queens on you and this is a new one. newly mated queens will do that. how is the brood pattern and have you noticed any changed in it, or the amount?

iddee · June 18, 2009, 06:52:24 PM

It sounds like the typical package supercedure. The time is right and the conditions fit. I would check in a week and again in two weeks. With the two updates we can tell for sure.

Bighead · June 18, 2009, 08:24:49 PM

The queen is new with the package and she is an Australian not very many drones or drone cells. This is one of the photos my wife took. Thanks to all for the help
http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/1936/dscn1073c.jpg

Kathyp · June 18, 2009, 08:34:12 PM

often a package will make a new queen. was your queen marked, or can you tell if it's the same one?

if you can take some pictures of the cells with eggs in them, and some of the brood, you can get the moderator to post the pictures for you.

jojoroxx · June 19, 2009, 12:27:28 AM

I am feeling chatty tonight. SO many times I drop by and never comment. Tonight issues are close to my heart.

Re: laying workers. In MY research I came to the understanding that MOST hives have one or more laying workers, in addition to a decent queen. The rogue eggs are simply removed... and the issue is basically kept under control, and rarely noticed by virtue of the fact that the queen is laying abundant TRUE eggs! :lol:

JP · June 19, 2009, 12:57:56 AM

Queens lay in the bottom of the cell, laying workers, multiple eggs on the sides because their abdomens are shorter than a queens.

Newly laying queens commonly lay more than one egg per cell as her plumbing is being used for the first time, then one egg per cell is her norm.

...JP

Kathyp · June 19, 2009, 01:59:34 AM

i have found hives that have pulled multiple eggs. only reason i noticed is because i had the bottom board in. somewhere, i still have the pictures of the eggs on the bottom board.....
never figured out why they did it. hive was fine, so i was fine :-)

Bighead · June 19, 2009, 08:38:23 AM

The moderator allowed my photo to be posted with my previous message. Enlarge the photo to see the cells with multiple eggs. Thanks for the info and help.

JP · June 19, 2009, 09:23:37 AM

Hard to make out but I do see some in the bottom of the cells.

...JP

sean · June 19, 2009, 09:38:00 AM

from what i see the eggs appear to be at the bottom of the cells which is suggestive of a young queen, i would say give it another week if you still see significant amounts then you have a problem. Time to requeen, there are posts on the forum on how to requeen a hive with a laying worker.

Kathyp · June 19, 2009, 11:29:17 AM

yup. looks like she just double fires on some cells. other things is, looks like she's maintaining a good brood pattern. that would not be true of laying workers, or failing queens.

Bighead · June 19, 2009, 04:29:09 PM

Thanks for all the info. I will let you guys know what i find out.

HI-LOWBEES · June 19, 2009, 09:05:07 PM

be patient grasshopper , i think you will be fine :mrgreen:

Michael Bush · June 19, 2009, 09:59:21 PM

Fallacies:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfallacies.htm#doubleeggs

http://www.bushfarms.com/beeslayingworkers.htm

Cindi · June 21, 2009, 03:06:52 PM

I had a laying worker colony last summer. This is what the cells looked like with the eggs in multiples. The colony collapsed, I was too late to do anything about it, it was a sorry thing. I think that your queen was laying more than one egg, personally. Good luck, all will be well. Beautiful days, to love and live, health. Cindi