Collected swarm

[eleanor20]

I collected my first swarm on saturday. It was about the size of a rugby ball.
I have put them into a national brood box with some drawn frames in the middle and some foundation at the outsides. Today I have seen the bees bringing in pollen and whilst trying to take photos of the pollen laden bees returning I managed to take a picture of what looks to me like a unmarked queen entering the hive (about 2pm). So at about 6.30 I went in for a quick look. I took out the back frame and slid the others across to lift out the centre frame and struck lucky.... there is a queen right in the centre marked in blue. I replaced the frame and put all back together as quickly as possible as not wanting to disturb her too much.
So my question is, could I have an older queen and a young virgin? Do I need to do anything or just keep an eye on them?

 

[VEG]

just leave them to it. Dont know why you opened the hive after seeing an unmarked queen going in though. She could have been returning from one of many mating flights.

 

[beesleybees]

just leave them to it. Dont know why you opened the hive after seeing an unmarked queen going in though. She could have been returning from one of many mating flights.

VEG, he said he thought he saw an unmarked queen entering the hive, so went in but found a marked queen.

he is lucky that he has a marked queen which will obvious start to lat one the comb has been drawn on foundation. If it had been an unmarked queen, it could have been a virgin so best to give her a few weeks peace to allow her to do her mating flights

 

[VEG]

I did read it but if they thought they saw an unmarked queen go in then the best thing to do is to leave them alone for a couple of weeks so they dont interfere with what could be a virgin getting mated.

 

[eleanor20]

Thank you both. That's why I'm asking for advice because I don't know.
I had assumed being a nice big swarm it must have the original queen, but then was thrown by what I saw.
So if I do have a virgin queen busy mating, as well as the marked queen.... is this normal, or a result of the poor flying weather, that the prime swarm was unable to leave earlier? What will happen when she has mated and is ready to start laying? Will they swarm again or will the two queens fight it out? All of the books I have really focus on what's left in the hive after the swarm, rather than the ones that have left.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I managed to take a picture of what looks to me like a unmarked queen entering the hive (about 2pm).

Can you post the picture?

 

[eleanor20]

Hope this works

 

[Beeline]

She looks to be just an ordinary bee, not a queen. Anyway, you have a marked queen so no probs.

 

[eleanor20]

Thanks.... you know how the more you look the more you convince yourself, and once you start wondering???? Anyway, thanks everyone, I have a nice big colony with a marked queen, I should just stop worrying and get on with it!

 

[BeeJayBee]

The bee in the picture could be a drone. All our drones are very dark, with no real coloured banding, and are a lot bigger than the workers. Squashed ones look alarmingly like queens.

 

[susbees]

The bee in the picture could be a drone. All our drones are very dark, with no real coloured banding, and are a lot bigger than the workers. Squashed ones look alarmingly like queens.

That ain't a drone...it has a pointy behind

 

[BeeJayBee]

...it has a pointy behind

oops! So it has!

 

[susbees]

oops! So it has!