[nodapic]

First time beekeeper here, and I've been having a crazy (and fun) time trying to figure out how to get a colony set up in my backyard. I believe my colony was queen-less for a while and made emergency cells. They were empty when I inspected them earlier today, but I did see this bee outside the hive and caught a picture of her as she ran away:

For those of you more skilled than me when it comes ti queen identification - is that a queen? She looked suspiciously skinny...

 

[GregB]

First time beekeeper here, and I've been having a crazy (and fun) time trying to figure out how to get a colony set up in my backyard. I believe my colony was queen-less for a while and made emergency cells. They were empty when I inspected them earlier today, but I did see this bee outside the hive and caught a picture of her as she ran away:

View attachment 50369

For those of you more skilled than me when it comes ti queen identification - is that a queen? She looked suspiciously skinny...

Yes. A young queen. Possible still a virgin or thereabout.

 

[nodapic]

YES! That makes me happy. Your comment about her being young fits the larger story in the other thread.

So I can learn, what do you look for when trying to identify her? What gives her age away?

 

[GregB]

YES! That makes me happy. Your comment about her being young fits the larger story in the other thread.

So I can learn, what do you look for when trying to identify her? What gives her age away?

Just look enough at the queen photos on the Internet and imprint the image into your brain.
I am not going to use the words to describe the same.

This time a year a normal laying queen will have a very obviously large abdomen.
This one - does not.
So, this is very abnormal to have a smallish abdomen this time a year UNLESS you are a very young queen that have not laid an egg yet.
Not to mention, a laying queen should be not be walking alone, outside a hive (again, UNLESS you are a young virgin flying about and trying to mate).

 

[BumblingBeek]

That is what my Saskatraz Queen looked like when she first returned from her mating flight. She fattened up really quickly once she was laying eggs. Did you put her back in the hive when you found her? The cleft on her thorax and her abdomen extending far past her wings are both dead giveaways.

 

[nodapic]

She fattened up really quickly once she was laying eggs. Did you put her back in the hive when you found her?

She was persistent in getting away every time I got close... She stayed close to the hive until I lost her. I also don't know if she was on her way out or on her way back in, so I will let her do her thing I guess...

 

[kaizen]

She was persistent in getting away every time I got close... She stayed close to the hive until I lost her. I also don't know if she was on her way out or on her way back in, so I will let her do her thing I guess...

leave queens outside of the hive alone unless you dropped her there. New ones are very skittish and will fly away never to be seen again. Don't open the hive for at least a week. Then inspect and look for eggs. If none give it another week and check for eggs.