[22Bones]

I had put a Queen with two frames of honey, a frame of brood, and two empty frames, along with two shakes of bees in a nuc to hold her while I grafted queens into the main hive. Two days later, I was going to put her back below an excluder but she’s gone!! The laying queen along with all the bees up and left! The nuc box has been previously used, all frames were drawn, they had food... I can’t figure out why she would have left. The holding nuc was next to a few other nucs, not sure of that matters.

Any ideas!? I’m so bummed to have lost the queen, she was a good one! I should have told her it was only temporary 😞

 

[JWPalmer]

Did you check the main hive to see if she returned to it? Pretty important as your grafts won't get accepted if she did.

 

[22Bones]

Hmm... I looked in just to see if they were drawing the cells and that seemed to be going as expected. You’re right though, I’ll double check tomorrow to be sure she didn’t go home. I was under the impression that a laying queen couldn’t fly. I guess she could have walked it was only about 20 feet.

 

[22Bones]

I checked the original hive today and the queen didn’t head home. I’m at a bit of a loss about why she would have left - and how did she fly off!? She had been laying within 24 hours.

Anyway, any advice on how to better hold a queen in a nuc is appreciated or any thoughts about why she might have vacated.

 

[JWPalmer]

Mated queens can fly, maybe not for miles, but certainly far and fast enough to make a hasty escape. I lost two that literally flew right out of my hands earlier this year.
Can't help on the why she and the bees said "addio per sempre". Have not had that happen to me yet.