Greg Z wrote: " Today I noticed a problem with a hive that I have been
tending and would like some help. Bear in mind that prior to my tending
of this hive this spring it had not been touched in 5 to 7 years, no
honey pulled, no antibiotics, no apistan, nothing...."
***********************
        The queen may have stopped laying eggs as the nectar supply
dried up.  Things should pick up again as goldenrod and aster bloom
starts; maybe that's why you have seen eggs in the comb.  Look again in
a week.
      1) Treat for Varroa mites now if you have not already begun
treatment.  Many people treat twice a year; extract early and treat at
the beginning of August and then again as soon as possible in the
spring.
       (I don't know how much experience you have had with bees!)
        2) Think about starting a second colony.  (Using a swarm next
spring is the easiest way.)  Then you will have something for
comparison. This doesn't always help; bee colonies are not all alike in
temperament or behavior.  (Put the word out that you are keeping bees.
Many people have dropped out of beekeeping in the last five years
because of mites and they might be glad to have you cart away their old
equipment.)
       3) Menthol may not work.  The Penn State bee web site
(http://www.psu.edu/dept/beehive/index.html) has an article on disease
treatment (http://www.psu.edu/dept/beehive/VT/Beesurvey.html) which
includes this line "One unexpected finding in both surveys was the
ineffectiveness of menthol treatments. "   Menthol won't hurt; I use it
because someone gave me some.  I do try to be consistent in treating
with grease patties.
        4) You won't see the effects of tracheal mites (without a
microscope) until early spring.  If, on a good flight day, you see lots
of bees walking in the six feet of space in front of the hive, they may
have clogged tracheae which prevents them from flying very far so that
they end up on the ground.
Tim
--
Tim Sterrett
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(southeastern) Pennsylvania, USA