balling queen!

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Heather

Queen Bee
Joined
Dec 7, 2008
Messages
4,131
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128
Location
Newick, East Sussex
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
6
Collected a swarm, and allowed them to walk into box off the ground and from up a lamp post. Slow but steady, until I noticed a cluster of about 20 reluctant to proceed. i gently picked them up and stroked apart. There, in the middle, was the queen that they had apparently balled and killed..why? Do you reckon a second queen present. I saw no sign of another as I watched them. Have newspaper joined to another colony, so may be 'interesting'
 
The swarm has several queens there. It is odd idea that the swarm kills their only queen during the travel.

If they did so, the swarm will return to their original hive during next 20 minutes.
 
But usually one queen travels with a swarm, and this was a prime.. I just will have to see tomorrow when I open hive where i joined them to a 'slow' queen.
 

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