I can't believe I did that!

[Skyhook]

As mentioned yesterday- inspected/prepared hive in the afternoon, added 2nd box, moved to new out-apiary. Today they were- well, as busy as bees.

Got home this evening, went for cup of tea in the garden. Noticed a couple of bees buzzing around the old site, assumed they were late-shift bees who hadn't gone back in when I closed up the hive and took it away. Then noticed a little knot of bees on the stand, ONE OF WHICH HAD RED PAINT ON ITS BACK!!!!

I can only assume that I'd dropped her off a frame when inspecting, she'd tried to walk back into the hive and made it as far as the stand, and some workers had joined her.

Got her and 3 or 4 workers into a fondant container they'd built brace comb in, with a bit of fondant, shot off to the bees, and put her on the top bars, last seen heading downwards.

I will look again on Sunday to see if there are eggs. If not, then I've buggered it up completely- and just when it was going so well.

 

[For want of a better word]

Your'r up for a good kicking too then?

 

[richardbees]

Sky, I now sit for quarter of an hour or so after closing up a hive to see if anything unusual happens - as I once did exactly the same thing, it was instantly apparent with a cluster of bees forming around her on the ground.

"Should have gone to Specsavers!"

richard

 

[TOBY-3652]

Were all havin sleepless nights bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[Skyhook]

Your'r up for a good kicking too then?

I've tried kicking myself but I can't reach, so I've settled for beating myself up.

Small crumb of comfort that there seems to be small spate of similar stories, so at least I'm not uniquely rubbish!

 

[nonstandard]

It must be the day for it, I inspected mine today and managed to drop a brood frame onto the ground (don't ask), once the dust and irate residents had settled I was collecting those left on the grass up with a bee brush and a board and there in the middle of it all was my unmarked queen.

She looked none the worse for her ordeal and quickly disappeared between the frames once returned to the hive.

 

[the naked beekeeper]

Sorry to hear of your misfortune, but its re-assuring to know I'm not the only one who makes bloopers!

 

[milkermel]

Me thinks the Queens are ganging up on us, either that or they are just trying to remind us that they dont read the books!

 

[MJBee]

I lost my queen too

Just began a weekly inspection of a strong double brood National with 2 supers. I had just lifted the supers off when clouds of bees began to emerge from the entrance - A BL**DY SWARM - they spiraled straight up and settled 50ft up a chestnut tree, no chance of collection. Checked at dusk and they have gone and NOT into my bait hive

Once relative calm returned I checked both brood boxes, twice, quite a few open queen cells and ONE sealed cell tucked away just inside a side bar, must have missed it last time

Note to self - change to 14 x 12 asap halves the risk of missing a cell (ie 11 frames rather than 22 to inspect)

 

[richardbees]

MJ - not sure where Dordogne is! Are you significantly warmer than UK?

richard

 

[milkermel]

Dordogne down near Bordeaux if I remember right, Bet its lovely there at the mo. "sigh"

just trying to figure another trip in september there or Ile de Re. double Sigh!

Lucky Toad. sorry to hear about your swarm though!

 

[666bees]

Hope everything turns out ok for you, unfortunately there are some steep learning curves with bee keeping as I am also finding out.

 

[Skyhook]

Hope everything turns out ok for you, unfortunately there are some steep learning curves with bee keeping as I am also finding out.

Thanks, I'm planning to inspect Sunday/ monday By then I reckon I should be able to see if I've got away with it or not.

 

[Skyhook]

Latest update

Inspected today. The queen is definitely no more. No queen, no eggs, and queen cells present.

What I had there was 11 brood frames with brood and stores, and, as a start towards a bailey change, 8 14 x 12 frames, part drawn and with some nectar stored. There were 4 sealed brood cells and 2 unsealed. What I did was split them into 2 colonies, each with 4 of the 14 x 12 and 5 or 6 of the brood frames. I gave the best of these to the hive not on the original site on the basis that this will not have the flying bees. I gave each hive one sealed and one unsealed cell, assuming that they will not be thinking of swarming anytime soon.

This was pretty much an attempt to hedge my bets. I suspect I will get told I should have left them as one hive, with one QC; but given that there is many a slip twixt cup and lip, this seemed to leave a lot to fate. My hope is that in each box there will be at least 1 good QC even if there is a problem with the other. By having 2 boxes I reckon I am less at risk of having my queen eaten by a swift. If I get 1 laying queen out of it I can recombine- if I get 2 I have the option.

Given the position I found myself in, does this sound like a reasonable course of action? and when can I next inspect without risk of upsetting her royal highness? As the damage happened on Wednesday, depending on the age of larvae used I assume emergence around next sunday if they use the sealed cells, or a couple of days later if they use the unsealed.

 

[oliver90owner]

Skyhook,

The sealed queen cells in just 3 days(?) will be well advanced larvae chosen by the workers and will more likely turn out as scrub queens.

The last of the eggs will now be hatched and in a couple of days or so, they would be finished starting emergency cells.

As they were only a single brood strong, I would have removed the sealed cells, noted the open cell positions, left them for a week and then split them, gently selecting the two queen cells (and possibly a second cell for each half, if any later ones are produced).

The advantages of doing that are size of colony while queen cell feeding, choice of better larvae, queen cells being just a little less fragile when getting ripe, careful checking for any further cells produced . They would likely need dummying (or preferably a divider fitting) as they are now only strong nucs in full boxes. We don't know what the weather might be like a week ahead!

Of course it would matter not a jot to me as I have other colonies around and could destroy all the queen cells, should I wish, and introduce a selected frame (or frames) with eggs after a week. So many more leisurely choices with that extra back up colony, and not really so much of a disaster as for a relatively new beek with just the one!

So I reckon you did what you thought was best and should, weather permitting, get a couple of mated queens to keep you going, but with a lot less likelihood of a bumper crop of honey! You still have choices, but likely it is best, now, not to disturb them further and risk creating any additional problems. They may supercede later in the season, too.

In the analysis at the end of all this, you will be happy to get one decent queen and ecstatic if both halves turn out well. You will also look back and consider whether you were a bit hurried in your decision making - hindsight will show that you did not need to panic or rush, even in your situation, as the bees did have things under control (as best they could in the circumstances).

Here I am, sitting here, BTDT years ago, and would not panic at all, now. I remember times when I have found the only (just capped)supercedure cell on the frame where I have just shaken the bees off!

You still have the option of introducing a bought-in queen, even if both fail, so all is not lost, by any means. Just keep fingers crossed.

When to look in? I would have a quiet **** (p e a k) at the frame with the queen cell (simply to check she has emerged) about three days after emergence day. That is all. Then leave for three weeks or so, ideally. But if checking during that period, just think about the time of day when you will not be disturbing the box!

Regards, RAB

 

[Skyhook]

Skyhook,

The sealed queen cells in just 3 days(?) will be well advanced larvae chosen by the workers and will more likely turn out as scrub queens.

When to look in? I would have a quiet **** (p e a k) at the frame with the queen cell (simply to check she has emerged) about three days after emergence day. That is all. Then leave for three weeks or so, ideally. But if checking during that period, just think about the time of day when you will not be disturbing the box!

Regards, RAB

I was trying to remember what age of larva was acceptable, and my fevered mind came up with 3 days instead of 36 hours.

Would it therefore be an idea to look in later in the week, check that the unsealed cells are progressing OK, and remove the others? They were a good size- maybe an inch or more.

Ages ago I ordered a queen from Norton, but don't know when that will arrive- suspect a few weeks yet, so plan to proceed with QC's a) as a stop-gap, and b) if any remnants of plan A are salvageable, I want to end up with at least 2 colonies so will need at least 1 of my own queens.

When I have virgins, what is the time to avoid? would inspecting around 5 pm be OK?