Picture puzzle

[Stromnessbees]

Have a good look at these pictures. Who can spot what's wrong and give a correct explantion?

321 322 323

Maybe I should offer a marsbar for the first correct answer...

Doris

[Jimbo]

Hi Doris,

All I can spot is a few bees in the first and second picture that don't look black but look like another bee species. Anybody near you bought in bees? resulting in driffting into you black colonies. I ALSO NOTICED A VARROA MITE ON A BEE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE 3rd PICTURE! (I hope I am wrong)

Jimbo

[Stromnessbees]

Hi Jimbo

This was the last colony in Orkney with some yellow bees, I got rid of the queen and used the colony for rearing dark queens.

The 'varroa' in the third picture will be a braula, of which we have plenty here. The picture is too fuzzy to identify the little beastie.

Nothing else strange in these pictures?

Doris

[GRIZZLY]

Strangely irregular comb-some small and some almost double size cells

[Stromnessbees]

... yes, keep going ...

[gavin]

Ha! I've been missing all the fun while taking the lads out to the football (we lost!).

Let me think .... round (ROUND!!) cells, spacers in the corners .... could it have been drone foundation in a place where the bees wanted to raise workers?

[Stromnessbees]

Well done, Gavin, that's more or less it!

It was naturally drawn comb with an area of dronecells, and the newly mated queen decided to lay worker eggs in there. So the bees had to reduce the cell size by thickening the cell walls.

In a way it's the opposite of buckelbrood, but not often spotted, I believe.

So would you like a marsbar or maybe a pint next time we meet? (pitty you can't make it to Tipperary)

Doris

[gavin]

<Gavin takes a bow>

Pint might be better (and I'll buy you one back after). I'm sorely regretting not coming to the BIBBA meeting, but maybe next time ....

I have to admit I looked at it once and thought that I'd never get it. Don't remember ever seeing this in a bee book, but there are so many and I certainly haven't read them all. Nice pics too.

Cells at the edge of comb are rounded on the edges that don't meet other cells.

[Jon]

(pity you can't make it to Tipperary)

Doris

Indeed. All the best people will be there!

[Stromnessbees]

I'll try this picture puzzle at the BBKA forum, will see how quick they are at working it out.
Don't tell them the answer!

Doris

[Stromnessbees]

Very slow progress at the other forum ... :confused:

http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/showthread.php?p=44190#post44190

[Calum]

Hi
ok here is my submission, what is going on here (http://www.bienenzuchtverein-lindau.de/image/mehreier.jpg)? There are two possibilities. Only one is right.

[Jon]

I would say it is a new queen laying too many eggs, perhaps due to restricted space.
It's not laying workers as the eggs are at the bottom of the cell rather than the side.
I see this quite a lot especially in apideas.

[Stromnessbees]

I had several lively debates with other beekeepers about the unusual comb and the eggs/larvae in it.

So here a more recent picture of that same comb:

379

The bees have not expanded the area of brood on there, they prefer using the regular worker comb on the adjoinig frames.

Here's a close-up:

380

I have uncapped three cells to verify that the cells contain workers and not drones.


In comparison a drone at approximately the same stage of development (photo from a different colony):

381

Of course this is not great for comparing as it's another odd one, but it's the only photo I have of a drone pupa. Maybe somebody else can help out?

Doris