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Author Topic: Workers to Drones  (Read 3030 times)

Offline Bee North

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Workers to Drones
« on: August 11, 2019, 12:13:07 am »
Hi Guys

A quick question to help me troubleshoot one of my hives.

If a Queen is poorly mated, how long does it take for her to go from laying fertilised eggs to laying drones. I dont mean the time period literally. I want to know does she digress over time or all at once?

Do you see signs of digression in the brood pattern over a period of time? Or, does she lay fertilised eggs one day and then drones the next, once the tank runs dry?

Thanks
Adam
« Last Edit: August 11, 2019, 01:59:35 am by Bee North »

Offline eltalia

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Re: Workers to Drones
« Reply #1 on: August 11, 2019, 04:33:15 am »
Straight up Adam?
She is shooting blanks from Day01 - never had a queen long enough for them to run out of
fertility, so on seeing a drone pattern during the buildup phase of Expansion I count this as
 "normal".
What does happen more often than the rarity of a poor shag is keeping virgin queens caged
 or restricted to the hive too long. You're taking a punt (unecessarily) not allowing mating
inside of 9/10 days.
We park virgins up, sure... but maybe a week max.

One last thing you can rely on is the bees euthanasing a drone laying queen... the pathway
to LWS (laying worker syndrome) - some bees take it on they can do better. More often occurs
post a primary swarm issue.
Typically it goes like a patch of capped drone comb in amongst the broodnest with no other
 brood at any stage, and a random scatter of eggs stuck in cells willy nilly towards the outside
 of the broodnest.

You'll be asking 'cos you are seeing something different.
And right now if it isn't expanses of fresh capped brood plus patches of fresh capped drone
comb at the extents of the broodnest (warm side) plus whitewax everywhere then it is likely
 "Houston we gave a problem" prevails.

Bak2U...

Bill

Offline Bee North

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Re: Workers to Drones
« Reply #2 on: August 11, 2019, 05:30:31 am »
Thanks Bill

Well you have read my other post now so you know whats going on.....not enough management!

[/quote]

One last thing you can rely on is the bees euthanasing a drone laying queen...

That makes sense...i read a bit on the subject and more often than the not the "queen can no longer be found" so you cleared that one up for me too.

As always thanks for sharing your wisdom!

Rgds
Adam

Offline eltalia

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Re: Workers to Drones
« Reply #3 on: August 11, 2019, 06:01:18 am »
"wisdom"...

Keep close this forum stuff is just education, eh Adam... in whatever form it
sinks in.
For yourself it's library building as I know too well the outcome of "but this
bloke on the Internet said..." in your situation.
/cue Ernie Dingo soundbyte/
Be happy someone is popping the top (on site) in giving you feedback.
You got plenty of time to Practice What We Cyber Preach.. heh heh.

/tips hat

Bill

Offline Bee North

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Re: Workers to Drones
« Reply #4 on: August 11, 2019, 06:18:13 am »
Thanks Bill

Let me know when you write your book: "Managing Bees in North QLD".....I would like a signed copy for my library please!

Offline Bamboo

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Re: Workers to Drones
« Reply #5 on: August 13, 2019, 07:32:45 am »
Thanks Bill

Let me know when you write your book: "Managing Bees in North QLD".....I would like a signed copy for my library please!


Ditto here Bill.

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Workers to Drones
« Reply #6 on: August 15, 2019, 10:29:41 am »
It's not instantaneous, but it is pretty quickly.  Like over a week or two.  It's usually not obvious to you because the bees remove the drone eggs that are in the worker cells until they can't keep up.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
-------------------
"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Offline Bee North

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Re: Workers to Drones
« Reply #7 on: August 15, 2019, 06:50:21 pm »
Thanks Michael

I have a hive that was laying beautifully, building up for spring as it still winter here...then 3 weeks later the hive was full abnormally full of drones and drone brood, with 2 capped queen cells....eggs but couldt locate a queen.

 Unfortunately that is all the information i have as im not home and the information got me thinking maybe she has run out of sperm and is being superceded.

Lots of bees swarming in my area at the moment though so as Bill suggested on my other post they may just be swarming too.

This hobby keeps me thinking thats for sure.

My friend will check on them in a couple of weeks again. Either way, hopefully they have a new queen.

Rgds
Adam

 

anything