Dead Queen

3542 Views 16 Replies 9 Participants Last post by Jackson, Jul 18, 2014

Jackson

Discussion Starter · Jun 24, 2014

Yesterday I released my new queen after introducing it into a nuc last June 21st with only nurse bees and closed brood in it. This afternoon I thought of taking a peek at the screened bottom and to my surprise I found the Queen dead on the floor. I removed the Queen and inspected her and saw no signs of the bee being attacked. Wings, legs and everything else seems ok. Was it possible that she got balled? Or what other possible reasons could there be that caused her death?

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Colobee

· #2 · Jun 24, 2014

A virgin, or other queen that slipped by unnoticed when you made up the nuc?

beesohappy

· #3 · Jun 24, 2014

Sounds like she might of been stressed some how or she might of been rolled if the frames were moved. Are there eggs or is there a new queen?

Ravenseye

· #4 · Jun 24, 2014

I'd be looking for another, live queen in the colony.

Jackson

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jun 25, 2014

No other Queen inside the nuc with her. Also made sure she wasn't rolled when I left her as I was able to see her moving about after closing the nuc from the screened bottom board. Only nurse bees were in the hive and emerging brood. No eggs or cells on the frame I included.
2 days she was inside her cage before I showed her out

then one day after ...died.
Today I went to check the hive, no sign of another queen though I did find varroa mites roaming about with some newly emerged nurse bees. Could this have caused it to die?

Ravenseye

· #6 · Jun 25, 2014

I doubt it. Is your brood regular brood or is it drone brood. I guess the question I have is, do you have a laying worker colony?

Jackson

Discussion Starter · #7 · Jun 26, 2014

its regular brood Ravenseye, no drone brood at all. It's been raining the whole day today will try to check and reconfirm just in case something got passed me.

Riverderwent

· #8 · Jun 26, 2014

"[W]hat other possible reasons could there be that caused her death?"
Conditions in transit.

Honey-4-All

· #9 · Jun 26, 2014 (Edited)

If you are looking for the best acceptance rate make up and use a lay cage to its best advantage. Doing so helps to bar a fair share of the mafiosa treatment she would normally be subject to when your NSA style bee nose is snooping on other projects. Remember that if all those stripped amigas on the outside of the cage are not so prone to be taking a liking to her they will take care of business if the barrier wasn't there. Lay cages are more work (time) but will help you achieve nearly 100% acceptance rates

jjhuntsalot

· #10 · Jun 26, 2014

I'm pretty new but with no bees out in the nuc to feed and water her did she starve to death in a few days. I know they can eat the candy but they need water also. The nurse bees that where in the cage with her couldn't go forage water. Any new emergers couldn't go get water not sure of the moisture content of your candy but not sure how long bees can survive with no water. That is just my opinion.

JRG13

· #11 · Jun 26, 2014

Weren't ready to accept her, it happens

Jackson

Discussion Starter · #12 · Jul 15, 2014

Thanks for all the replies

The nuc has been quenless till now, I gave them a brood with egg 1 1/2 weeks ago but they didn't bother to create any Q cells with it. They are broodless till now but their attitude seem ok and calm. No signs of laying workers too. Since they didn't bother to make their own Queen , I have decided to try give them another one when my order arrives. Hopefully this time they will accept her.
Thank you for the suggestion honey-4-all, I might try to use a lay cage this time. I'll try and see first how they will react when I bring the queen cage to the nuc if it looks violent then i will implement the lay cage.
I will not discount the possibility that the Queen was already in trouble when I got her Riverderwent, though when her cage was in the nuc for 2 days she seemed fine and the next day when I released her the workers seem happy to accept her.
Jhuntsalot, it's possible. I myself am not that sure if she would need water feeding. I introduced 2 queens that time employing the same process and thankfully the other one survived.

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Riverderwent

· #13 · Jul 16, 2014

"I have decided to try give them another one when my order arrives. Hopefully this time they will accept her."
What happened to the nuc? Was there brood when you went back in, or did you successfully requeen?

JRG13

· #14 · Jul 16, 2014

The original new queen got balled, don't think about it any other way, you won't find any evidence. I had a new nuc I felt was ready to accept after a day, let the queen out and she was dead in 20 seconds...

tanksbees

· #15 · Jul 16, 2014

Dead queens make good queen juice

Jackson

Discussion Starter · #16 · Jul 18, 2014

Riverderwent said:
What happened to the nuc? Was there brood when you went back in, or did you successfully requeen?

Hi Riverderwent, no brood yet till now. They didn't make use of the eggs I gave them, no queen cells at all, I did note from my inspection in my other hives that drones seem scarce already, so maybe they felt there might be no drone to mate the queen even if they make one. I'll wait for the Queens I ordered to arrive and intro it to them. Hopefully with good results since they've been out of Queen for a little more than 3 weeks already.

Jackson

Discussion Starter · #17 · Jul 18, 2014

tanksbees said:
Dead queens make good queen juice

Yes tanksbees, the Queen that died is already in vodka

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