[beekeeper28]

I have had trouble with this hive swarming this year.

1st signs of swarm I made a split and installed a new queen in the old hive. Split w/ original queen is doing great.

Must have released the new queen and swarmed - she is gone. I think the hive may have swarmed a third time, hive population is now about a nuc or split size. 06/28/03 seen a new queen some 1 day eggs. When I was pulling the frames I seen the/a new queen she was beautiful a very light golden color. She jumped off the frame a fluttered to the grass besides the hive. I of coure panicked slowly put the frame baack into the hive and with my brush was chasing the queen from grass clump to grass clump. Amazingly I was able to catch her very gentle of course and put her back on to the top of one of the frames. She run imediatly down into the depths of the hive and away from the light. On the frame before her was a capped queen cell. About the time that I brushed her back on to the frames I was being called away to take care of some other business. I just had time to shut the hive back up.

Question - Will the queen that I saw distroy the capped queen? I have read that the first queen that emerges will sting the other queens through the cell. What are some possible explanations for this queens behavior - why did she jump/fly off the frame?

And to top it all off it is raining agian today... I guess I won't have any honey this year either. I did notice that both of the hive are eating what was stored, my guess is because of the rain.

 

[GAbee]

She may destroy the other cells, if she doesn't she will probably be killed. As for why she jumped off the frame... Maybe she fell or maybe she was taking off on a mating flight?

I am sorry that you will not get a honey harvest. Maybe you should experiment with new races.

[This message has been edited by GAbee (edited June 30, 2003).]

 

[Michael Bush]

>Question - Will the queen that I saw distroy the capped queen?

Maybe, mabye not. How long ago was the last swarm? Maybe these are afterswarms. Is the queen cell high up on the frame? If so, it may be a supercedure.

>I have read that the first queen that emerges will sting the other queens through the cell.

Not always. Sometimes there are six or seven afterswarms and the workers keep the queen from destroying them.

>What are some possible explanations for this queens behavior - why did she jump/fly off the frame?

I've seen them do it before. It is frustrating. Usually she will find her way back. I don't know why they occasionaly decide to do something like that, but the virgin theory is likely or maybe she's just recently mated. They are always more flighty and run a lot more when they are virgins or just mated.

 

[MountainCamp]

If I am reading the information correctly, the hive that the queen came off of the frame and the hive with the capped cell are one and the same. This is also the hive with eggs as seen at the same time as the capped cell and queen.
If she is laying, she is not very likely to leave in an after swarm.
She has most likely also aready killed the other queen and they just have not cleaned the cell yet.

 

[beekeeper28]

Yes you have read correctly. The hive had new eggs and some a couple of days older. Not much emerging brood. A couple of frames cleaned and ready for more eggs. (1) capped queen cells a darker brown color. I seen it before I seen the queen. A couple of frames over a beautiful golden queen. Who when I pulled the frame went running around like she was scared of teh light then she jumped.
I hope it is as you have said. I buy my bees locally and this supplier gets his queens from someone in GA. I talked to another beekeeper today and he has bought queens from the same guy I have and he said he had a swarmy hive. The two that I have had do produce a lot of bees fast. They seem to build up brood fast and bring in enough honey to feed they brood then up and leave. Maybe I should try some different stock.

 

[Michael Bush]

Maybe you should get an old box with some old, dark, clean, empty comb and a lid and bottom and some swarm lure or Lemongrass oil and put it near your hives. Preferably near the tree they like to gather in to swarm. You might catch some of those swarms.