First a little background:
I am located in Northern Alberta, Canada and we have had 2 weeks of cold
rainy weather.  The hives in question were checked 19 days ago and were
queen rite.  17 days ago they received the last of 3 treatments of Formic
Acid on the bottom board.
 
What I have found - in far too many hives:
 
The upper brood chamber is almost full of honey.
The population of bees was great.
 
The bottom brood chamber has capped brood, no open brood or eggs and so no
queen.  I have seen Formic acid kills before but this was always accompanied
by lots of supersedurre cells.  No queen cells in any of these colonies.
 
This occured in colonies that may have been exposed to Varroa and which were
treated with Apistan.
 
An ideas on what is happening or suggestions on how to deal with these colonies?
 
My management at this time is:
Introduce a queen into the bottom brood chamber, place an empty brood
chamber as the second box, excluder, the brood chamber full of honey in #3
position and an empty super on top.
 
I have seen similar occurances on the past but only rarely and never thought
too much about it.  This time I am finding 2 or 3 in many yards.
 
Eric Abell
Gibbons, Alberta Canada
(403) 998 3143
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