[McSpin]

I've been keeping bees for 2 years. This year I had a swarm from one of my hives, which I caught, and a wild swarm that I also caught. When I hived them, I added a couple frames of brood with some queen cells to each - just in case. This was 3 weeks ago (I caught both swarms two days apart). After checking the hives yesterday, there is no sign of a queen and no brood cells or larvae. Both hives are quite aggressive which I've seen before on queenless hives.

My question are, what's the average on queens who make it back from there mating flight? I thought there might be some statistics on this. Will bees remain aggressive if there is a virgin queen present?

Thanks for any help on this.

Steve

 

[NewbeeNnc]

Could it be possible that you didn't get the queens from both swarms or they were harmed in the process?

 

[McSpin]

Sure, that is very possible, but shouldn't one of the queen cells worked or isn't it likely that they would have raised another queen from the frame of brood? I'm wondering if the queen didn't make it back from a mating flight or if a virgin queen is in the hives, yet the bees still remain aggressive.

 

[fish_stix]

You can solve the problem! Add a frame of eggs and young larva. If they don't have a queen, you just gave them the resources to raise one. If they do have a queen, you just helped them a little by giving them some extra brood.

 

[beenovice]

My question are, what's the average on queens who make it back from there mating flight? I thought there might be some statistics on this. Will bees remain aggressive if there is a virgin queen present?

With first swarm the old queen goes out. She is already mated....

With afterswarms it's a gamble but success rate is high.

Sometimes if you give a swarm frame with eggs or brood they will kill the queen. This is mentioned in couple of beekeeping books I read but I have not seen it happen - I never give comb to swarms.

What happened to queen cells ?

 

[devdog108]

I am 10 for 10 this year......they have all made it back and have good patterns. 3 have been superceded because I let the hive get honeybound......

 

[KQ6AR]

Last year I lost 1 out of 2. That hive went a long time without a laying queen.

Mine quieted down after they built the queen cell, They where not aggressive.