New queen not laying

[kevboab]

Hi all. For some reason bees felt the need to supercede at back end of August. The new girl hatched out beginning September but still hasnt started laying. Box bursting with bees and taking winter stores down well. No other brood whatsoever in box and cells clear and polished in anticipation for eggs.

Should i hang fire and give her a chance or be thinking about uniting ?

[Jon]

If she doesn't fly and mate in the current good weather she never will. I would wait another week. I still have a few virgins in nucs and apideas and I am hopeful they will fly this week. 20c today and the next 3 days are to have similar temperatures.

[kevboab]

Weather has been not to bad here with plenty opportunities for mating. Another week it is then. Heres hoping !!!

[fatshark]

You're not by any chance treating for Varroa are you? I'm pretty certain that - of the queens raised this year - the most recently mated were most dramatically inhibited from laying when the Apiguard went on. I've had two nucs almost empty of brood because of this (whereas a nuc with a 2010 queen in the same apiary was untroubled by the Apiguard). I might be way off the mark with this, and it's observational rather than any sort of scientifically controlled study (no chance eh Gavin?!), but it's worth a thought.

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fatshark

[kevboab]

Got bayvoral strips in with good mite drop prior to winter oxalic.

[fatshark]

kevboab
I've no experience with Bayvoral I'm afraid ...
Fingers crossed for a good few days so she has the opportunity to get out.

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fatshark

[kevboab]

Just to let you know queen has finally started laying. Managed to get in on friday and found plenty of eggs and a good pattern. Shes certainly took her time in getting started.

[Jon]

A queen of mine which hatched in a nuc around 15th September has started laying as well.
I checked yesterday and she had 3 frames with brood.

I still have 2 virgin queens in Apideas.