Did she or didnt she ?

[Bumble Bee Slim]

Do successfully mated queens always return with "mating sign" in place ? Today I picked up a queen from the ground outside her nuc and as weather was turning iffy and the odd wasp was out looking for its next protein fix ,I placed her on the landing board and she hopped straight back in.I am left wondering if she was returning from a mating flight or whether for some reason she didn't get that far.There was no sign of drones "bits and pieces" attached to her, hence my question.

 

[Bumble Bee Slim]

Thoughts anyone ?

 

[Parsonage Bees]

They do orientation flights before mating flights. Maybe you saw a return from one of these.
Saw a queen return without sign and she went on to become a laying queen.
. . . . Ben

 

[Bumble Bee Slim]

They do orientation flights before mating flights. Maybe you saw a return from one of these.
Saw a queen return without sign and she went on to become a laying queen.
. . . . Ben

Thanks Ben, hadn't even thought of queen doing orientation flights.
Dave

 

[Polymorph]

Yep, pulled a virgin on the 1st May and saw her by chance on the hive stand on the 5th May and got a photo to prove it. She then flew back to the nuc, so orientation flights happen earlier.