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Balling but not killing. Seems strange

2K views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  Michael Bush 
#1 ·
A new queen has been out of the cage for 4 days. Each time I have checked the nuc, there is a huge ball of bees on her but they have not killed her (yet?). I sparyed them with sugar water today and she just walked away and climbed on a different frame.

Any ideas or suggestion? I thought about mixing a little lemon with sugar water tomorrow (if she is still alive and being balled) them sprying everyone in the hive including her, the frames, and side walls.
 
#4 ·
This week I collected a cast swarm with two virgin queens(unbeknownst to me at the time). Dumped them in a box and put on a queen includer. When I went to remove the includer a couple of days later there were two balls of bees on it. In the centre of one was a light brown dead virgin queen. In the centre of the other was a live black virgin queen. I can only assume they were balling to protect one, while balling to kill the other. Looked identical to me.
 
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