Experiments with a virgin queen

[viridens]

I caught a queen at the moment she emerged from her cell today and thought I would try to answer a few questions.
I found that she was able to find and enthusiastically eat honey offered on a cocktail stick.
More interestingly that she COULD NOT squeeze through an excluder no matter how she tried. (This was an old metal excluder, the only type I had to hand, with slots a standard 4.38mm wide).
Even though just emerged, she was able to fly weakly, just a foot or so.

I hope this info. is useful to someone.

 

[viridens]

Ooops - Pics to go with my post above

 

[enrico]

If not useful at least fascinating!
Thanks

 

[Beeconcerned]

I see frequent posts here about queens laying in supers. Does that mean some excluders are faulty?

 

[thedeaddiplomat]

I see frequent posts here about queens laying in supers. Does that mean some excluders are faulty?

Some excluders ARE faulty (see previous threads).

But some Queens are also faulty - in that they are smaller than average and therefore able to squeeze through the holes in the excluder.

And some beekeepers (present company excepted of course!) are also faulty - in that when they check their colonies they might not always be as careful about ensuring the Queen stays where she should as they might be.

 

[MJBee]

The "usual" way a queen gets into the super is during an inspection.

Super(s) removed and stood on the roof, Qx removed and laid on top of the supers. Queen dives into the super from the under side of the QX

Having been there and got the "T" shirt I always check the under side of the QX

 

[drstitson]

nice brown queen - hope she has been found a good home.