Mass birthing of virgins

[Levitt53]

Well I've just witnessed this for the first time. Long story but I collected a swarm, that then tried to swarm, I split them, they swarmed anyway, this was the split. I had a little look today because of the 'no food' worries (needn't have worried) but there were 14-15 swarm cells. I decided on one and tore down the others which I just left on top of the neighbouring hive. Closed them up was just writing my notes when one hatched and flew off into another split!! Then another hatched. I got her and quickly opened up the original hive and popped her in there and destroyed the cell I'd left. Look at them again and there was another running around. She fell off and I'm sorry to say I put my hive tool through her and the other cells laying there. Next year I will get myself some mating nucs but it was quite fun to see. Not sure what will happen to either of the splits but we'll see.

 

[birdsandbees]

I guess you'd class those as 'swarmy bees' my Brother had a swarm like that last year, they weren't even covering three frames and swarmed!
We think they swarmed more than once and ended up hopelessly queenless, I donated one of my queens and they've done well now in a full hive and Supered.
By all means get a few mating Nucs but I wouldn't propagate from a queen like that, better to produce a few daughters from your best.

 

[Levitt53]

Yes no I won't breed from them if they are that swarmy (I know that looks like what I said). It was a very interesting experience.

 

[nantmoel]

Well I've just witnessed this for the first time. Long story but I collected a swarm, that then tried to swarm, I split them, they swarmed anyway, this was the split. I had a little look today because of the 'no food' worries (needn't have worried) but there were 14-15 swarm cells. I decided on one and tore down the others which I just left on top of the neighbouring hive. Closed them up was just writing my notes when one hatched and flew off into another split!! Then another hatched. I got her and quickly opened up the original hive and popped her in there and destroyed the cell I'd left. Look at them again and there was another running around. She fell off and I'm sorry to say I put my hive tool through her and the other cells laying there. Next year I will get myself some mating nucs but it was quite fun to see. Not sure what will happen to either of the splits but we'll see.

First thing I would be doing is getting a decent strain of queen in to replace all the ones you have from the swarm.

 

[Millet]

First thing I would be doing is getting a decent strain of queen in to replace all the ones you have from the swarm.

Don't disrespect Levitt..she knows what she is doing..she only shared this information as it is very unusual to witness Queens emerging like this.

 

[DaveG23]

I had a similar experience for the first time this year, really interesting to watch. Saw 1 emerge during inspection, then 2 of the queen cells I had cut out and out to the side also emerged. They were quickly confined and donated to make up up 2 small nucs.

Happened again today, I had cut out a queen cell and put it in my pocket. By the time I was back inside I had a queen running around in my pocket.

 

[Newbeeneil]

This happened to me earlier today. I opened a hive in my garden that I've not had a chance to inspect for a couple of weeks and could straight away hear piping. I saw a virgin so picked her up and popped her into a cage. I carried on and found 15 sealed cells which I broke down with another 10 virgins emerging as I opened them.
There was no sign of the nice calm queen who was 3 years old and didn't raise swarm cells in the last two years. I'm pretty sure she hadn't swarmed as the box was stuffed with bees. She was clipped anyway.
I saw a twelfth virgin in the box so left her there, took a couple of frames of bees to make up nucs, closed up and set about using as many of the virgins as possible. In the end I made up two 3 frame nucs and 2 mini nucs.
It was an interesting evening

 

[nantmoel]

Don't disrespect Levitt..she knows what she is doing..she only shared this information as it is very unusual to witness Queens emerging like this.

Can you please point out where in my reply have I been disrespectful!

 

[Antipodes]

It is a wondrous thing to see the queens emerging. I don't know how they do it, but my understanding is (please correct me if I am wrong) that some of the worker bees somehow imprison or hold the queens yet to emerge in their cells, even though they are ready to emerge. There can be a number of queens ready to go. When the lid and or frames are lifted, those bees imprisoning the queens get distracted and the queens seize the opportunity to escape.

 

[birdsandbees]

Can you please point out where in my reply have I been disrespectful!

I don't know? I have read and re read your comment, it was advice to someone along the same lines as my comment when neither of us know Levitt53.

I've had multiple cells emerge myself when going in to remove them, the colony swarmed on me, I recovered the swarm and went into the hive to find multiple cells, as each was removed a virgin ran out, I ended up running back to my truck to get more cages!
ended up with about 8 queens, they had decided to swarm after they had lost their queen (I think I damaged her and she disappeared after two weeks) I had reduced to two cells but they made more!

 

[Madge]

It is a wondrous thing to see the queens emerging. I don't know how they do it, but my understanding is (please correct me if I am wrong) that some of the worker bees somehow imprison or hold the queens yet to emerge in their cells ...

Yes, it is as you’ve described.

All I can add is that one can see on a cell if a queen is likely to emerge from it (not born!). First, there might be a huddle of excited bees clustered around the cell, but more because of the nibbled reddish-looking ring near the tip of the cell indicating that the lid is almost open.

Seeing that, I would have known to put them somewhere safe, and not on a hive roof.

 

[Millet]

Can you please point out where in my reply have I been disrespectful!

The way i read it seemed to me that you where talking to the lady in question as though she was clueless..apologies if i read it wrong and what i interpreted was not intended by you..

 

[Millet]

Yes, it is as you’ve described.

All I can add is that one can see on a cell if a queen is likely to emerge from it (not born!). First, there might be a huddle of excited bees clustered around the cell, but more because of the nibbled reddish-looking ring near the tip of the cell indicating that the lid is almost open.

Seeing that, I would have known to put them somewhere safe, and not on a hive roof.

I have witnessed this several times but i have also seen Queens making there bid to freedom with no workers anywhere near them..

 

[Madge]

I have witnessed this several times but i have also seen Queens making there bid to freedom with no workers anywhere near them..

I said there ‘might’ be a huddle of bees. You’re moving frames about, and they can move away.

I also said the nibbled tip is more likely to indicate near emergence.

 

[Millet]

I said there ‘might’ be a huddle of bees. You’re moving frames about, and they can move away.

I also said the nibbled tip is more likely to indicate near emergence.

Hold on pet i aint having a no dig at you..

 

[Madge]

Hold on pet i aint having a no dig at you..

I'm not your pet! Or anybody's.

 

[Beefriendly]

Mellifera..It's well used phrase of endearment in the NE.
It's compliment.

 

[Madge]

Mellifera..It's well used phrase of endearment in the NE.

It's compliment.

No Beefriendly, not when preceded by ‘hold on’ - absolutely not. That is a condescendingly male to female sneer. It’s all about context.

 

[Beefriendly]

In my area it would have been "hold on luv"
No malice intended...
West country would be "Hold on me loverly"

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Gets me popcorn out... No heavy petting allowed here
...