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Almost screwed up...

2K views 5 replies 6 participants last post by  beedeetee 
#1 ·
I am almost embarrased to post this but if it helps others, it's worth it.

It was the first serious inspection in a couple of weeks and found 11 swarm cells in my healthiest hive. (!) Then on to my bear-damaged hive.

Recovery is going well but a couple of the frames showed foundation damage I hadn't seen the night I put everything back together. So (focusing only on the comb and not the bees) I cleaned off a 3"x4" piece of irregular/burr comb and dropped it on a spare bottom board I keep next to the hives. Worked for a while straightening this and that and then closed everything up.

Went back over to watch the girls clean up the nectar in the burr comb and..... what the heck..... There, walking around looking very confused was a queen. :eek: I quickly popped the outer cover off and walked her into the hole. Almost immediately, a dozen or so bees formed a circle around the entrance in the "she's back" fanning posture. (It's amazing that they missed her than quickly.) That was just to close.

I guess the lesson is, "NEVER get casual... or don't ever throw any comb away without checking to see if you have an important hitchhiker.
 
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#2 ·
Ok I'll confess, one time I found one with a small cluster on the ground the day after I inspected the hive. Right where the super was siting. Put her at the entrance she walked right in.
Another time my wife found one on my head, while putting a hive back together.
Yet another time on a drone frame I was ready to discard.
You're not alone on this one.
 
#3 ·
Not alone at all. Couple years ago I was hiving packages and free releasing the queens. Pulled the screen off one queen cage and let her walk in. Couple minutes later I reached for an entrance reducer and leaned over to install it at precisely the same time she came walking out the front door. Down the landing board and right down the leg of the hive stand. I had to pick her up and put her back into the hive. All was well and she started laying right away. You never know!
 
#5 ·
Not as interesting as your story but over the weekend while cleaning burr comb off the tops of frames I balled her up in wax.

She looked okay and will watch for supercedure cells in case she is hurt. It was that comb that they put between the upper frames and lower, I was reaching between frames to remove it. Have to change my plan of attack.
 
#6 ·
One time I was looking for the queen (for some reason that I don't remember). I had gone through all of the frames and was starting back through them. My mother-in-law was also looking at the frames and all of a sudden said "there she is!!". She was pointing roughly at the frame but I still couldn't find her. My MIL then said "No, on your hand". There on the back of my hand was the queen. I don't know how long she had sat there. I would think that I would have noticed her when I was removing frames. I knew that a bee was there, but didn't pay any attention to it. I was lucky that I didn't close everything up and move to the next hive.
 
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