Good news?

[mystil]

Hello Chaps
As some of you are aware we bought a nuc a while ago and have (due to our inexperience) had some swarms.

We "thought" we had a queen in the hive last week but was not sure and did not want to investigate just in case she absconded.

Now HM presence has been confirmed. My other half saw the queen going back into the hive yesturday midday-ish. Weather was very nice and no wind.

Would she be up to anything other than a mating flight outside?

Thanks again for your advice and sorry to bang on about this hive. The situation seems to change from day to day. We have probably learnt more in the last few weeks of having bees than from the books.

 

[plumberman]

Would she be up to anything other than a mating flight outside?

Either mating or orientation.

Good whatever.....

 

[For want of a better word]

Lucky indeed to actually see the queen returning to the hive...... was it an off chance sighting or were you siting and waiting mesmerised by the bees toing and frowing???

Now you have to continue with the watching from a distance and wait for a sunny afternoon in about a fortnights time before you carefully open the brood box and take a quick peek for eggs larvae and sealed brood................

Then you have to make the decision if to capture the queen to mark her and possibly clip her wings
( google Dave Cushman.... marking and clipping queen bees)

However and whatever you do think it all through first....... sometimes[quite often actually] I wish I took my own advice!!!

Then you have to worry yourselves silly on how to get them through the next winter for next years golden crop!!!

ENJOY AND KEEP US POSTED!!

 

[Vergilius]

Sorry to be such a sceptic, but I reckon your OH saw a drone - the odds of seeing HM land after a mating flight are so small!


Ben P

 

[sandysman]

Now HM presence has been confirmed. My other half saw the queen going back into the hive yesturday midday-ish. Weather was very nice and no wind.

Are you sure it was the queen and not a drone?

 

[madasafish]

Sorry to be such a sceptic, but I reckon your OH saw a drone - the odds of seeing HM land after a mating flight are so small!


Ben P

I saw a queen outside the hive in a mating flight in May... it does happen.

And no: she was not a drone

 

[sandysman]

Did she have a smile on her face or is there a sting in this tail?

 

[taff..]

I saw a queen outside the hive in a mating flight in May... it does happen.

And no: she was not a drone

I saw a queen coming back to a nuc earlier this year as well. I was about to inspect the hive next door when I noticed a huge amount of bees around the entrance of the nuc, I had a closer look and was just in time to see the queen land on the entrance and walk straight in

 

[plumberman]

Sorry to be such a sceptic, but I reckon your OH saw a drone - the odds of seeing HM land after a mating flight are so small!



Not at all. If you know your dates, fairly easy to predict when orientation/mating flights are going to be. Couple that with the weather, and the fact that there is clear excitement by the workers when she leaves then seeing this reasonably predictable.

Saw queen out twice the other day in a mating nuc.

 

[mystil]

OH is saying he saw alot of excitement and in his first thought was "oh bleep, they are going to swarm again" with alot of swearing involved on his part, which .

So went to investigate to see less bees than the swarms we have had but lots of excitement.

Then saw one long slender bee flying outside and she landed on the face of the hive and spent a minute walking about on the outsude of the hive before going inside.

 

[mystil]

OH is saying he saw alot of excitement and in his first thought was "oh bleep, they are going to swarm again" with alot of swearing involved on his part .

So went to investigate to see less bees than the swarms we have had, but lots of excitement.

Then HM flew onto the face of the hive and walked around for a minute before going in.

I can imagine that it was a very nerve racking minute watching her walking around but not actually going into the hive.

Also she had a crown perched on her head he says.