Do clipped queens actually swarm later?

[Jengles]

I've read that clipped queens swarm later than non-clipped queens, waiting until the first virgin is ready to emerge before leaving. I lost a clipped queen recently and while I'm not entirely sure when she departed, the one queen cell we left in the hive took about three days to emerge.
If a clipped queen does leave later, how does she know she's clipped? And if she knows she's clipped, why does she try and fly when she does swarm?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I've read that clipped queens swarm later than non-clipped queens, waiting until the first virgin is ready to emerge before leaving

not quite that long - but I spoke to a long time beekeeper/be farmer/retired RBI only last Tuesday about it and he said it does hold them back a few days

If a clipped queen does leave later, how does she know she's clipped?

she flaps her wings to realise it's actually wing singular

why does she try and fly when she does swarm?

it's not her decision, she's just the laying machine - the rest of the bees force her to go

 

[Ian123]

Not as far as I’m aware in my experience they go at the normal time but I’ve never had many and if they are clipped there breeders so rarely had any of them try and go. It’s to expensive!!!! Never bother clipping normal queens

 

[Jengles]

it's not her decision, she's just the laying machine - the rest of the bees force her to go

Ooh, so is the delay because she's trying not to leave but the workers eventually force her out?

 

[Blunt Spike]

I've heard its more of a swalk than a swarm

 

[Jengles]

I've heard its more of a swalk than a swarm

Very good

 

[ericbeaumont]

because she's trying not to leave

how does she know she's clipped?

I doubt that bees have that level of understanding, and would be pleased to be shown to be wrong.

Noticed this season on quite a few occasions that colonies have not swarmed on the sealing of QCs. The apiaries are widespread and the queens were both clipped & marked and unclipped & unmarked.

For example, yesterday I went through two colonies on three BBs sprinkled with SQCs, but eggs were present and because of similar situations earlier in the season, kept looking and found both queens (unmarked & unclipped) reasonably easily.

I accept that swarms might dither during up and down weather (which we had in April and early May) but it's been warm & settled recently and I can find no good reason for departure.

if she knows she's clipped, why does she try and fly when she does swarm?

Evidentially, she is unaware that her wings are clipped.

 

[Garry R]

Remember the bumblebee (Corporal Schultz) It flies because it doesn't know how not to! The clipped queen doesn't fly because it thinks it can and only finds out it can't when it tries. Does this sum it up?

 

[Mabee]

The Apiarist had just talked about this in his latest blog: Spot the queen - The Apiarist