I'll pay for clumsiness

[Deux Ruches]

I hope other newbies can learn from my stupid mistake.
I've just come in from carrying out a second full inspection of my hives, where I was over eager and damaged a Queen.
It's 20c plus here the cherry and peach are in full blossom and ideal for a good inspection. Both hives have continued to expand at speed over the last month or so, and there are 6/8 frames of brood in all stages, and good stores. I had not seen the queen in no1 hive for a year. (She's a new queen following brood frames being introduced after a swarm over last Easter when I was away)
I never could find her, but I wasn't bothered as the hive developed well, it went on to produce nearly 20kg of honey.
I saw her on the first inspection but was not prepared, as I've never marked a queen before. When manipulating her into the tube I think I trapped her front legs. When I replaced her on the frame she did not move and was imediately surrounded by workers. I closed up the hive and was nearly sick. I feel really stupid, I haven't felt like this, since I was dumped as a teanager. "I hasten to add, that I wasn't dumped by a Queen."
As usual I'll let those who know best sort it out. The Bees.
PATIENCE, PATIENCE, PATIENCE. I hope my sad tale stops others being so careless.
Nick.

 

[BKF Admin]

Did you place her back onto a frame that had open brood/eggs in it ?
Thats were the bees expect to find her,if she is on a food comb they get alerted that something is wrong.
Some queens play dead when marked they can go into a catatonic state,I had one last year do just that,I thought I had killed her as she rolled dead like back into the hive,only to find eggs a week later and HM walking around the combs with a big green dot on her.

Leave it a week and check for eggs,I think she has a good chance of being ok.
Yes she does need a good leg for measuring the cell size but queens manage to carry on without being superceded with a leg missing.

Also I have often found that the bees will look like they are trying to ball her until the paint dries,they get a sniff of pheremone and leave her after a few minutes.

Maybe it is a good idea to put a newly marked queen into a queen cage for half an hour after marking until the paint fumes go?

 

[Deux Ruches]

Thanks for the encouragement admin. Yes she did go back onto brood comb, she also played dead when in the marking tube. I'll of course leave them alone for a week, and just hope.
Thanks Nick.
n.b. Is it possible to have Dadant included in the hive type for members info?

 

[BKF Admin]

n.b. Is it possible to have Dadant included in the hive type for members info?

I will add it..
Mark.

EDIT: Added.

 

[jezd]

RD, I bet you feel sick to the teath I know I did, I damaged a queen very late last year, I dropped her and she had a slight limp but seemed to settle down (all in early Sept) - checked a day or so later and she had been killed off - I was guttered and very angy with myself over that one.

Interesting how ppl are in a rush (having said that you are in a warmer climate) to get into the hives on the forums, other than food levels I simply dont see a need as you cant do very much at the moment.

Snowing again and best just to leave alone I think.

As ADMIN says await and see, if lost you are at least the right side of the season 'just', I was at the wrong end - by the time any emergency queen appears there should be some drones around.

JD