# Queen not laying no brood in the hive.



## ccar2000 (Aug 9, 2009)

Welcome to the forum. Your queens may just be slowing down since the weather is cooling. How is your hive populations? On one of these warmer days you should check your hives for honey/nectar and pollen. They should be stocked up for the winter now too.


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## markesp83 (Oct 10, 2013)

I have two nuc hives one is four frames the other is five. It is getting cold here so I think that's what it is. I just didn't expect to see almost no brood compared to when I first got my bees. Yes I did notice the in both hives the frames are all just about filled with honey/nector and pollen with the exception of one frame in each hive. I've been also using feeders placed throughout my garden where the bees go and gather food from to help them out a lil. I fill them up every other day. The population in the 5 frame nuc is really good 4 frames are covered in bees and seems to bee doing really well. My smaller nuc the 4 frame hive, only has two frames completely covered in bees the population in that hive is farely small but they have three frames filled with food so far. I was think of swithing the hives around to equalize the population in both hives to add more bees to my smaller hive. What's your opinion and what would you recommend? Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions.


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## ccar2000 (Aug 9, 2009)

markesp83 said:


> I was think of swithing the hives around to equalize the population in both hives to add more bees to my smaller hive. What's your opinion and what would you recommend? Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions.


Sounds like you are off to a good start. The bees in SoCal often have warm enough days to fly during the winter season. Leave some syrup in your open feeders in the garden and if it is warm enough, and the syrup is above 55* or so they may collect it if needed. I would not switch the hives nor do too much manipulating, particularly this late in the season. Personally I would let the bees be bees. That is just my opinion. However, experience is the best teacher so do what you think is best and note your successes. Good luck!


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## franktrujillo (Jan 22, 2009)

what breed of bees do you have some breeds shut down if no pollen is brought in if there itallians there should bee some eggs still


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## markesp83 (Oct 10, 2013)

Thank you I will folllow your advice and let them be and just continue to feed them with the feeder thank u so much. Franktrujillo yes they are itallians what kind of bees do you have?


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## Joseph Clemens (Feb 12, 2005)

4-frame and 5-frame Nucleus colonies. Is there a particular reason why you are attempting to maintain your bees in such limited quarters?


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## markesp83 (Oct 10, 2013)

The reason I haven't moved them to bigger hives is because I read that nuc hives are good to start out with since they are small in size and the fact that I'm highly allergic to bee stings I wanted to make sure I got the hang of things before I allowed them to grow bigger . I plan to add supers to my five frame nuc in spring and will move the mother hive in the four frame nuc to a regular 10frame hive as well. I wanna eventually start producing nuc hives that I can sell and maybe start a little side business while adding to the population.


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## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

My hives here in Concord, have very small areas of brood. Bees are carni mix.
The only thing that keeping them in nucs all summer will do for you is make more swarms. I bet you had at least one swarm per nuc this summer, probably more.


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## markesp83 (Oct 10, 2013)

Actually I don't think I did because the queen mother hive was the only hive I bought in june that was the four frame nuc I ordered the five frame nuc seperately and split the nuc hive into two this summer and the bees in the queenless hive named a new queen and she assumed the throne without issue. I thought I got lucky. For my first time splitting a hive considering I was successful on my first try and no real clue what I was doing lol but that is also my goal for 2014 to get my hives to swarm so that I can raise my numbers and introduce a couple new queens from other breeders to add genetic diversity to my bee hives I really like the cardovian bee queen and was thinking of ordering two of those. =D


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## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

Id be negligent if I didn't mention you will get stung, no mater how careful you are. I was planting onions yesterday when 2 of the girls decided to sacrifice their lives.



markesp83 said:


> The reason I haven't moved them to bigger hives is because I read that nuc hives are good to start out with since they are small in size and the fact that I'm highly allergic to bee stings


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## markesp83 (Oct 10, 2013)

I know its only a matter of tiime for me I have an epipen incase its weird though I've been stung before as a kid and acouple times as an adult and never had a bad reaction. But the last time I got stung I brok out in hive my face swelled up and my air ways started closing I had to call 911. All the times before that I've been strung by one bee at a time but that time I was stung by atleast four or hive do u think maybe I'm not allergic but because it was more then just one I reacted to all the venome?


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## ccar2000 (Aug 9, 2009)

Could be that it was more than one or it could be the location of the sting. I got stung in the ear once and the symptoms were strong and came on fast compared to getting stung on my fingers. You would be wise to get a Drs opinion for sure. We don't want to lose you


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## markesp83 (Oct 10, 2013)

I will that time it was in my lip under my nose


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