[marant]

Just installed new queen in cage yesterday. I understand it should take 2-4 days for the bees to eat the candy to release her. In watching the hive this morning I noted that the bees are acting different than they did during their queenless time. They are much more active, with more normal coming and going. Before they just seemed listless and only a few flew with any apparent purpose.

Does just having a queen present in the hive, even before release, have a detectable effect on the hive? Can I learn anything from it?

 

[Colobee]

Most definitely!

Assuming she is being accepted normally, the workers on the "hive side" of the cage screen are soaking up her pheromones, and distributing them throughout the hive - preparing everyone for her imminent release and for everything to return to "normal". The hive is likely preparing, stocking & re-ordering the brood nest for the eggs & larvae that they have been missing.

 

[Joseph Clemens]

Yes. Maybe.

 

[Robbin]

I can often tell if a hive is queenright by how calm they are. Anytime a hive gets mean on me during a simple inspection, I check for a queen. I've only had one hive that was queen right that was mean. I finally got another queen and had to battle them to find her and kill her. Boy were they mean. I was getting nervious in a full suit. They followed me for 200 yards when I walked away.

 

[Bees In Miami]

marant....Absolutely! true story... My Mom in New England got her first couple packages last year (pretty cool at 75 years young!). She caught the "bee flu" helping me down here. Anyways, she kept talking about "the busy hive, and the not so busy hive". I had already planned a trip up there a few weeks after the install to help her through her first inspection. Anyways...inspection revealed the "not so busy" hive was actually thriving and orderly, and the "busy hive" was queen-less and chaotic, and without question, lacking order. We made a ridiculous drive to pick up a Carniolan queen. He had Italians also, but her other hive had an Italian queen, so we went with the black as the ace of spades Carni. When we got back to her house, I set the queen cage on the landing board to see how they reacted to her while we prepared for the install. They went CRAZY NUTS!!! Started fanning IMMEDIATELY...and truly, they were SO excited that their Royal leader finally arrived!!! It was truly amaaazing to see! They took to that queen immediately! Waggle dancing...fanning...their 'buzz' changed...so very excited, even with her just on the landing board! I swear, that hive's behavior changed immediately, too. Their flight paths became more orderly, their landing behavior changed, seriously, the 'chaos' went away in minutes! I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it for myself. So, YES...It happens, and is amazing to witness. Congratulations. "Before they just seemed listless and only a few flew with any apparent purpose." There is much truth in the phrase 'hopelessly queenless'.

Ps...That Carni queen is successful to this day, and her hive is booming. The Italian didn't make it through the horrific NE winter. I hope you have the same success!

 

[Ross]

The roar will often times subside in minutes after getting the caged queen. If I have a loud hive I think is queenless, I'll set a caged queen on the top bars and listen. If they immediately start quieting down, I'm pretty sure I was right.