Massive queen outside hive

[Delgirl]

Are they about to swarm do you think or new queen just returned. She does not seem to want to go in? Checked them last week and not big colony at all.

 

[elainemary]

Are they about to swarm do you think or new queen just returned. She does not seem to want to go in? Checked them last week and not big colony at all.

Think it’s a drone. Look at the furry large thorax and the square shaped, abdomen, wing length and eye shape.

 

[Delgirl]

It isn't but photo maybe not clear. Very long thin body. I know drones and she has a lot of attention from the girls.

 

[Delgirl]

It isn't but photo maybe not clear. Very long thin body. I know drones and she has a lot of attention from the girls.

Just gone back for clearer picture and no longer there. I suspect gone inside. Can see from angle of photo looks fat but believe me she was a longun. Maybe exhausted from a long mating flight. So much for last inspection. I'll get the hang of this one day.

 

[JamezF]

I reckon it's a queen too. The eyes don't look correct for a drone (I always think of drones' eyes as pretty much meeting at the top of their heads) and the wings are short compared to the body length whereas a drones are roughly the same length. And in fact the way the workers are clustered around her facing her looks typical of a queen to me.

Her right wing does look a bit tatty at the end though. Hopefully she doesn't have that much more flying to do.

James

 

[Delgirl]

I reckon it's a queen too. The eyes don't look correct for a drone (I always think of drones' eyes as pretty much meeting at the top of their heads) and the wings are short compared to the body length whereas a drones are roughly the same length. And in fact the way the workers are clustered around her facing her looks typical of a queen to me.

Her right wing does look a bit tatty at the end though. Hopefully she doesn't have that much more flying to do.

James

Thanks. Wonder if old queen going walkabout if tatty then. This was a very productive hive last year that fits with her healthy size. Leaving for another week as don't want to disturb if new laying virgin. I had not been able to mark old queen as could never find her.

 

[Delgirl]

Thanks. Wonder if old queen going walkabout if tatty then. This was a very productive hive last year that fits with her healthy size. Leaving for another week as don't want to disturb if new laying virgin. I had not been able to mark old queen as could never find her.

 

[Delgirl]

 

[Delgirl]

Last year's stack.

 

[Delgirl]

Uhho she is back. Any advice greatly received. I am thinking they want to swarm but she doesn't. Shall I put in a nuc?

 

[pargyle]

Depends what is inside the hive .. if there are queen cells then it's high time to A/S ...

 

[Ian123]

With the tatty wing she could be an old girl, I’ve seen them before roaming around the entrance and often found dead shortly after. Possibly a supercedure?

 

[Delgirl]

Depends what is inside the hive .. if there are queen cells then it's high time to A/S ...

They have chucked her out. Raining here now too. Feel awful. Supercedure?

 

[pargyle]

They have chucked her out. Raining here now too. Feel awful. Supercedure?

Looks likely ... you might need to check whether there are any queen cells ...

 

[Delgirl]

Looks likely ... you might need to check whether there are any queen cells ...

Bingo. Leaving them to it. Thanks all.

 

[pargyle]

Bingo. Leaving them to it. Thanks all.

That's a cracker isn't it ? Hopefully you get another lovely queen .. the bees usually know best !

 

[Delgirl]

That's a cracker isn't it ? Hopefully you get another lovely queen .. the bees usually know best !

I know but brutal. She worked so hard last year too but obviously as you say they know best. Will give it a week do you think before checking again how things are going?

 

[Ian123]

Mmm…. Not sure you’re out the woods…what’s the rest of the brood like in the hive any more pics of sealed brood. That cell is large and in amongst some drone is the rest of the brood as in the picture, that sometimes can be an issue! There’s also a dodgy larvae pulled out the cell all in I’d wonder from that single pic if she was not a drone layer, bees are very few and far between as well. Hopefully I’m wrong.

 

[pargyle]

Mmm…. Not sure you’re out the woods…what’s the rest of the brood like in the hive any more pics of sealed brood. That cell is large and in amongst some drone is the rest of the brood as in the picture, that sometimes can be an issue! There’s also a dodgy larvae pulled out the cell all in I’d wonder from that single pic if she was not a drone layer, bees are very few and far between as well. Hopefully I’m wrong.

Yes ... you could be right but there's not a lot she can do about it at this stage ... and opening them up again would only be for curiosity ... she'll know in ten days or so whether there's a new queen or not and at that stage it's a shake out if there's no viable queen.

 

[Curly green finger's]

If she opens them up she would be able to tell by the rest of the brood frames as to wether the old queen was a drone layer not just curiosity the frame does look classic DLQ material .
I would be looking at them asap unless the op had seen worker brood capped or otherwise .
Edit: if it was supersedure surely the old queen would still be present untill the new queen was laying?