Absconded!

[Hobie]

By all reports, my "queenless" tree cut-out took flight to places unknown this morning at about 9:30. I had them in a single deep, and quite frankly do not know what made them leave. It's like a ghost hive.

By the time I opened it at 6 pm, there was not a speck of honey in the comb. Observers said other bees were coming and going almost immediately after the tenants departed, so I suspect they could have cleaned up, but there was not even a hint of stickiness. Did they have no stores? There was some larvae (no sign of AFB), and a few new bees crawling out. Saw a few open queen cells.

Any idea what caused this? Recall this is the cut out where I did not get the queen.

Is there something wrong with the super? The location? Should I destroy the comb, or give it to the other strong colony? The comb looks okay, except it is brown, not clean white. Even the newly drawn comb is dark tan.

*sad to see them go*

[ August 24, 2006, 06:51 AM: Message edited by: Hobie ]

[sierrabees]

How far did you move them from the original location? Swarming bees like to be at least half a mile from the old homestead but I have read that they will fly over three miles under certain conditions to go back if they lose the queen. Some swarms will abscond no matter what you do. Darn bees never read the book.

[Hobie]

These were moved about 15 miles, back in mid-July. Would they leave because they were overcrowded? Would they leave if there are insufficient resources? (I have one other colony and there is at least one strong wild colony in the immediate area.)

[iddee]

>>Would they leave if there are insufficient resources?<<

Yes, a queenless hive will not forage like a queenright one will. They will run out of food even during a flow if they don't have a queen nor eggs to raise one from.