Is this normal?

[GavB]

Is this normal behaviour for bees?

 

[Millet]

I would hazard a guess and say that is normal for swarming.

 

[GavB]

Do they not do this if the hive gets to warm sometimes? Checked and destroyed all the queen cells last week which were empty?

 

[Bakerbee]

Ive seen mine swarm and ive seen mine get excited to send virgin off on a mating flight. Both seemed similar. The difference i found with mating flight was they did this tumbling out excited flying about then after 10 mins all went back inside. I foolishly thought theyd decided to give up swarming !then really got myself in a pickle with vq's and the problems ensued with not recognising it for what it was

 

[enrico]

Swarm that's lost its queen. Is she clipped?
E

 

[beeno]

Empty QCs because the virgins have emerged or because they were duff?

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

I'm with Enrico - looks like the queen might be on walkabout?

 

[Beefriendly]

Swarm that's lost its queen. Is she clipped?
E

Judging by the mass of bees on the ground in front of the hive one would think so.

 

[mickbees23]

Looks like clipped queen swarm to me

 

[GavB]

Just checked and the queens still in the box...

 

[enrico]

So where are the bees now?

 

[beeno]

The bees are ready to swarm, but they have not got the queen to go with them. She is a follower not a leader.

 

[Beefriendly]

Just checked and the queens still in the box...

Clipped? Walked or flew back?

 

[Millet]

Just checked and the queens still in the box...

She could be dead by the morning if you have a virgin running around in there.

Get through it tomorrow and if the owld girl is still alive split the hive into two, old Queen in one side and the Virgin in the other, loads more needs explaining but i will leave that to the key board friendly folk..

 

[mickbees23]

I had a colony swarm last year and the queen was gone. 4 days later no eggs and I just left one queen cell. 2 more days later I opened to check on the QC and found a patch of eggs on the frame opposite, next frame had the old clipped queen back. It had taken her 6 days to find her way back through the grass ( no she wasn't under the mesh floor its the 1st place I look ) Oddly the swarm went and left her..LOL


Cheers, Mick.

 

[Bakerbee]

Mick did they swarm without the queen? Is that what youre saying? Surely thats suicide for the swarm unless they flew off with a virgin. But its the other way around isnt it queen buggers off hive raises new queen.