[gatorflhr]

Hello all-
I found a hive Queenless late last week. Meaning, no Queen in site, no larvae, no eggs, some caped brood, queen cells started.
I waited till this week, at least one erupted queen cell, other queen cells present two capped, others not.
Then i saw her, which i didnt think i would as ive heard Virgins are small, sometimes smaller than workers. Ive never seen what i knew was a virgin on a frwme in contrast to other workers and nurses. She was very dark, and not too small. I would say her abdomen was almost black. THe hive was originally queened with a Kona Queen, which tend to be big and orangy. I havent looked it up yet, so im asking ya'll....could her color be a sign she's young or old? The original queen i put in in the spring was orange. Also, no eggs os larvae yet, and less capped brood.
There was also chirping goning on in the hive, though i dont know who was doing it? I pinched the queen cells when i saw her.....hoping i was now queenright. My only worry is that shes a bum, and that color?? I didnt have time to seperate the capped queen cells for a nuc.
Im not opposed to requeening, since ive found 2 rescent suppliers.
Any experiences? Advice?

-Gator

 

[BEES4U]

Here's a photo of a Carniolan breeder queen that may help you:

http://www.glenn-apiaries.com/carniolan.html

Here's more on honeybee genetics:
http://www.glenn-apiaries.com/genetics.html
Ernie

 

[honeybeekeeper]

I watched a youtube video one time of a queen piping on a frame, maybe thats what you was hearing!

 

[Velbert]

an older queen will have tattered wings if she is a year or 2 old her thourax will not have all the hair on it she will move slower across the comb. If there was no eggs or larva in the hive at the time you seen the queen more than likely she is a young queen most of the time you will find some eggs and larva in the cells if the old queen is in the hive and they have not left with the swarm

 

[fatscher]

Hello all-
I found a hive Queenless late last week. ... Then i saw her,... She was very dark, and not too small. I would say her abdomen was almost black. ... I havent looked it up yet, so im asking ya'll....could her color be a sign she's young or old?
Any experiences? Advice?
-Gator

My belief is that being a dark queen she is likely a Carniolan or have some Russian genetics in her. But, her color does not change with age. So it's no indication that she's old or young, only an indication of her genetic makeup.

I pinched the queen cells when i saw her.....hoping i was now queenright. Any experiences? Advice? -Gator

I avoid pinching any capped queen cells, whether I see a queen in that hive or not. Just because you see a queen, does not mean that the bees won't kill her, and default to the newer, not-yet-emerged queen. Remember, as Mike Palmer says, "Bees make better beekeepers than beekeepers make bees." Sometimes we think we know more than the bees, and when we manage our hives that way we can do them a huge disservice. Hopefully you get lucky after pinching those other cells and the colony does not kill this black girl!

Im not opposed to requeening, since ive found 2 rescent suppliers.
Any experiences? Advice? -Gator

Great! You may have to call on your queen suppliers after pinching those other queen cells.

 

[Fred Bee]

:thumbsup:Some of the best queens I've had were dark ones like that...they may be more Carniolan. The color is not an indication of age. And the noise you heard may have been a queen piping...so...you may want to check on that hive after a few days...as there may have been another queen present. If so...the queens will work it all out themselves. So, if you check the hive in a few days and the queen is there and she is laying a good pattern...you may be ok. Just keep a check on things and good luck.

 

[BerkeyDavid]

Some of the best queens I've had were dark ones like that...they may be more Carniolan.

Agree! I get excited when I see a black queen. When I am choosing a queen to graft eggs from I like to make sure there are some black drones in the hive because that means you have a chance of passing on some carni genes. In the last batch I had a couple black queens.