Lost and confused Queen?

[Lesley Hoppy]

Went into my WBC today hoping to find evidence that the new queen has been out, mated and laying eggs....
To my surprise, when I removed the lifts, ( the wooden surrounds - for those unfamiliar with WBCs) - there was the queen on the outside of the brood box - alone.
It was the fact that she was alone that surprised me - I would have expected her to be surrounded by an entourage..
A quick check through the brood box showed no eggs - so I popped her back in and hoped for the best....
Anyone have any idea of a likely explanation???

 

[VEG]

did she fall off a frame when you last visited?
Were there any queen cells in the brood box

 

[Silly Bee]

Have you anything at the entrance to stop her entering and going up the outside of the brood box? She might have been out and missed the way in.

(I put a strip of wood at the front of the BB and push the BB hard against it)

 

[Lesley Hoppy]

did she fall off a frame when you last visited?
Were there any queen cells in the brood box

She had emerged - but I didn't see her last time I went through....

 

[Lesley Hoppy]

Have you anything at the entrance to stop her entering and going up the outside of the brood box? She might have been out and missed the way in.

(I put a strip of wood at the front of the BB and push the BB hard against it)

No - I just assumed the entrance led straight into the brood box - didn't realise they could get into the space inbetween....

 

[Silly Bee]

Take off the roof and look down, you'll see what I mean.

 

[Lesley Hoppy]

did she fall off a frame when you last visited?
Were there any queen cells in the brood box

Queen cells? Didn't do a really thorough check - just looked for eggs on the middle few frames as I was anxious to get her back in. I should have looked more carefully - hadn't thought of them making Queen cells.... but with no eggs or larvae - how could they raise a new queen anyway?

 

[oliver90owner]

didn't realise they could get into the space inbetween....

They shouldn't be able to. Well they could not on my WBCs of years ago.

 

[Lesley Hoppy]

Take off the roof and look down, you'll see what I mean.

Thanks. Will do that...and find a suitable strip of wood.

 

[Silly Bee]

didn't realise they could get into the space inbetween....

They shouldn't be able to. Well they could not on my WBCs of years ago.

They could on mine until I stopped them.

 

[Hivemaker.]

If the WBC is properly constructed there should be a tunnel slip, which prevents any bees from getting into the area between the brood body/supers and lifts.

 

[Lesley Hoppy]

If the WBC is properly constructed there should be a tunnel slip, which prevents any bees from getting into the area between the brood body/supers and lifts.

It came from Th****s - so I presume it should be ........

 

[Hivemaker.]

It came from Th****s - so I presume it should be ........

Then if it has the tunnel slip no bees can get into that area unless you trap them in there,flying bees exit through the cone escapes when trapped.

 

[Lesley Hoppy]

Then if it has the tunnel slip no bees can get into that area unless you trap them in there,flying bees exit through the cone escapes when trapped.

SO......back to my original question..... what was the new queen doing in there wandering around on her own???

 

[Silly Bee]

Have a look and see if she can.

Before I altered mine, she would have been able to.

 

[MJBee]

I suggest she had been out on an orientation or mating flight and lost her way on returning. She can only have been out a short time so I doubt you will have problems with queen cells. Now she is back in the brood box I would leave for a week then check for eggs.

 

[Lesley Hoppy]

I suggest she had been out on an orientation or mating flight and lost her way on returning. She can only have been out a short time so I doubt you will have problems with queen cells. Now she is back in the brood box I would leave for a week then check for eggs.

Thank you MJ - I hope that you are right!
How long do they tend to spend out of the hive on the mating flight - and would I have noticed 'signs' on her that she had been mated -eg. the remains of an unfortunate drone's reproductive organs attached to her abdomen?!!

 

[psafloyd]

Maybe she'd been a very naughty girl...

 

[Lesley Hoppy]

Maybe she'd been a very naughty girl...

What - and banished from the hive until she had learned her lesson....

 

[John R]

This happened to me once, went out for half an hour, came home hours later and was locked out, did you smell alcohol?