alt="Photo depicts drone cells are normally built in discrete patches, rather than scattered on the combs as above."/>
Figure 5.28 Drone cells are normally built in discrete patches, rather than scattered on the combs as above. If you observe scattered drone cells, look for multiple eggs within the cells, which would indicate that the colony lost its queen, and that some workers have activated their ovaries to become “laying workers.” A laying worker colony is doomed to death unless it is requeened by the beekeeper, which may be difficult.
Figure 5.29 A brood frame with scattered drone cells. In this case, there were only single eggs in the cells, indicating that it was a case in which the queen had gone “drone layer” (unable to fertilize worker eggs). This diagnosis was confirmed by noticing the presence of a queen.
Practical application: A drone‐laying queen and a colony with laying workers both exhibit scattered drone cells. But only in the case of laying workers are there are multiple eggs scattered in the cells.
Odd Problems
A virgin queen, due to weather, may be unable to take mating flights. After a few weeks, she may begin to lay eggs. Or a queen may have a problem with her internal plumbing that prevents her from fertilizing her worker eggs. In either case, the queen may lay a solid pattern of drone brood in worker cells (Figure 5.30).
Figure 5.30 A case of a young queen commencing egg laying without having mated (likely due to confinement by weather). Note that she has attracted a retinue of attendants, but that every cell contains a drone larva too large for the worker cell in which the eggs were laid. Note also that the workers have extended the cell walls, and in a few days the cells would be capped with bullet‐shaped drone cappings, rather than slightly‐domed worker cappings.
Figure 5.31 A solid brood pattern, indicating an excellent queen, and a well‐nourished, disease‐free colony.
“Spotty Brood”
Beekeepers thrill to see a “solid brood pattern” (Figure 5.31).
Sometimes one will observe what beekeepers call “spotty brood” (Figure 5.32). This may or may not be a reflection of the queen. A queen mated in an inbred population, due to lack of diversity in the sex alleles of the drones that she mated with may lay fertilized eggs that develop into “diploid drones,” which are quickly consumed as larvae by the nurses, resulting is a spotty brood pattern. This is seldom the case, unless a beekeeper is rearing their own queens.
Figure 5.32 An example of “spotty brood.” Although beekeepers often blame the queen for this condition, it may or may not have anything to do with her.
More often, spotty brood becomes normal as the season progresses, due to poor nutrition, disease, or parasitism by varroa (Figure 5.32).
Spotty brood is caused by larval mortality due to dearth or poor nutrition, European Foulbrood (EFB), Chalkbrood, a virus, toxic pollen, or pesticide or miticide contamination of the combs. Far too many queens are unnecessarily replaced due to problems not of their own fault. But if a queen is over a year old, she may be starting to run out of viable spermatozoa.
Practical application: There's not much that one can do about Chalkbrood, but EFB can be cleared up with oxytetracycline. Give the queen a fresh comb to lay on, in order to see whether comb contamination or disease is the problem. If the spotty brood persists, then replace the queen.
Queen Replacement and Introduction
Since queens tend to begin to fail in their second season, most professional beekeepers replace them annually, instead of taking the chance of successful supersedure. A colony going into the winter with an aged queen is a recipe for disaster.
Practical application: colonies tend to perform and survive better if they have young queens.
Identifying and Locating the Queen
Although beginning beekeepers always want to “see the queen” (Figure 5.33) in truth, it is rarely necessary to observe the queen directly in order to determine her status.
Figure 5.33 The queen is most often to be found on a brood frame, and not surprisingly, most often on one containing fresh eggs. But she will also sometimes be found on an outside frame, or even on the wall of the hive.
Tips for finding the queen:
It is difficult to see queens when you are wearing a veil (sorry, that is just a fact).
Check the brood frames first.
As you pull out the frame, look down the face at an oblique angle – the queen stands somewhat taller than the workers.
Glance at the face of the next frame in the hive, I often spot the queen there.
The queen is far easier to spot in the first 5 seconds than she is after 10 seconds after being disturbed, so first glance quickly at both sides of the frame.
Hold the frame in front of you, with good lighting, hold your eyes steady, and move the frame in a rectangular motion in front of your stationary eyes (rather than moving your eyes).
Train your eye to recognize the queen's abdomen, more angular “hips,” a possible retinue of attendants, and her longer (and often light‐colored) legs.
Handling the Queen
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