Is this a normal brood pattern?

[u/cryingandlying]

I’m a new beekeeper in North NJ. All my other brood frames were completely empty, but this one still has some capped brood. Should I be concerned? Thanks for the feedback!

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[u/AvgGamerRobb]

It's too late in the season to be concerned. Whatever happens will happen.

[u/Active_Classroom203]

No, it is not.

It is common for Queens to slow down and even stop when weather and forage tell them that raising bees is not a good idea, But if it's warm enough for you to still be doing inspections, I am surprised to see your queen already having stopped completely.

Did you just run a mite treatment? Are you feeding? Did you see the queen?

[u/cryingandlying → u/Active_Classroom203]

this was on of the last warm days of the season. it’s pretty cold here otherwise. nights are well under 50. days are upper 50s
My mite counts have been low all summer. no mite treatments. I did not see the queen. I am winterizing my hive and adding white sugar on top of the frames

[u/404-skill_not_found → u/cryingandlying]

I treat even with zero mite counts. Maybe not so aggressively. I’ve been bit hard thinking I was doing my counts properly… (Just doing what I think is best to get by.)

[u/NumCustosApes → u/404-skill_not_found]

My fall treatment is alway prophylactic. That means the colony gets treated whether it needs it or not. I test to make sure the treatment was effective. I want healthy bees to raise the healthy bees that will raise healthy winter bees.

[u/worldspawn00 → u/404-skill_not_found]

Yeah, Oxalic is gentle enough to just do it on a schedule, counts are not necessary IMHO, unless you see another problem in the hive (like mite carried diseases) that would prompt a count because of a potential severe infestation. Regular oxalic treatment should be sufficient to prevent them.

[u/27mwtobias27 → u/cryingandlying]

Where in NJ are you? I'm in Morris Co. and it's been a lot warmer. Are you Sussex? (Sorry, still not a good or normal pattern.)

[u/cryingandlying → u/27mwtobias27]

Warren

[u/27mwtobias27 → u/cryingandlying]

Lovely leaves we're having. Sorry about the hive.

[u/cryingandlying → u/27mwtobias27]

true lol. do you think the hive has any hope? should I continue to feed 2:1 or white sugar? are you part of the NJ association?

[u/27mwtobias27 → u/cryingandlying]

I am! And also a local club (Essex, even though I'm in Morris). Probably unlikely unless there are still a good number of bees in there (big maybe) but it does not look like it from your photo :(

[u/cryingandlying → u/27mwtobias27]

There’s actually a lot of bees in this hive (just not on this frame). This is so sad.

[u/27mwtobias27 → u/cryingandlying]

Well, with bees you never know. We are running out of time to feed. I fed mine this AM and that will probably be the last of it b/c they need time to take the syrup into the frames and dry it out. Maybe worth trying and then make sure you get them set to combat the moisture during the winter. That's the biggest problem (aside from mites). It's really helpful to be in a group or work with an experienced keeper.

[u/27mwtobias27 → u/cryingandlying]

We've had hives like that too. Mite count low then the next time, way up high. It lulls you into a false sense of security.

[u/Fine-Avocado-5250]

I'm in North Jersey too, and it's been warm. My bees are still quite busy and bringing in pollen. I suggest feeding 2:1 syrup to help them. It's late in the season, but it would help them.

[u/Acrobatic-Hedgehog45]

.No, this is not a normal or healthy brood pattern. What do the other frames look like? If any.

[u/KeystoneBees]

Looks sad. Did you see a queen or any eggs?

[u/joebojax]

Nope but hopefully they're a very frugal lineage of bees. More likely it's disease or a queen running out of juice.

[u/MikeDitkasMustachio]

No

[u/NumCustosApes]

No. And it also looks low on food. Look hard for the queen or at least some eggs anywhere. Are you feeding 2:1 sugar syrup? Are you using a single deep or a double deep?

[u/talanall]

You're probably going to lose this colony. Maybe before winter, maybe after it get cold.

Brooding should be slowing down for most people in North America, but this isn't a slowdown. As an educated guess, your bees' varroa problem has not received adequate control. At this point, the mite load is so high that all your brood is being infected with viral diseases. Probably all your workers are infected, too.

Best thing you can do now is to really study up on mite control. Learn how to perform alcohol or soapy water washes, get the equipment for them, and be ready to take it seriously with a new colony.

Wash once a month, starting when you can see drones or purple eyed drone brood. Stop when you don't see drones anymore, or when the daily highs aren't breaking past 12 C/55 F, whichever happens first.

Have a treatment on deck, so that when your mite counts get above threshold, you can treat immediately.

You'll need to do some homework on this, too, because some of them are not suitable for weather above or below certain temperatures, and some cannot be used in the presence of honey intended for human consumption.