Prime Swarm

[Millet]

Could a prime swarm be headed by a Virgin even if a the clipped Queen has not tried to swarm.?

 

[enrico]

Could a prime swarm be headed by a Virgin even if a the clipped Queen has not tried to swarm.?

My immediate reaction would be ....no....a prime swarm is headed by a mated queen. I can't imagine a virgin heading the first swarm of the year and leaving the original queen behind, clipped or not!
E

 

[user 6228]

Could a prime swarm be headed by a Virgin even if a the clipped Queen has not tried to swarm.?

I think I' ve seen it happen even with an unclipped queen. This was from observing the egg laying of the two resulting colonies. Its low probablity occurance. but "Bees they never do anything invariably". .... Things like two mated queens in the same colony etc...

 

[Millet]

My immediate reaction would be ....no....a prime swarm is headed by a mated queen. I can't imagine a virgin heading the first swarm of the year and leaving the original queen behind, clipped or not!
E

Thank you Enrico, you may have seen my picture of a swarm in my other post in What in the apiary today, (short version).. , you know your onions so i will listen to you and then decide this swarm near my hives was from elsewhere so thee is glad i did not get them into a box..

Here is a picture incase you missed the other..

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Could a prime swarm be headed by a Virgin even if a the clipped Queen has not tried to swarm.?

yes - I'm afraid Enrico is wrong on this one - Prime, from the Latin Primus - the first. So it's the first swarm to leave the colony, whether headed by a virgin or mated queen.

 

[Beefriendly]

Some prime swarms have been known to contain not only the old queen but several virgins as well. So anything is possible particularly in a colony where the queen has had her wings clipped and cannot fly.

 

[enrico]

yes - I'm afraid Enrico is wrong on this one - Prime, from the Latin Primus - the first. So it's the first swarm to leave the colony, whether headed by a virgin or mated queen.

Fair comment..,.I don't doubt you. Hopefully didn't mislead anyone. I really should read more!
So if a clipped queen is in the hive you may get a prime swarm with a virgin.....?is that right?
E

 

[Millet]

Fair comment..,.I don't doubt you. Hopefully didn't mislead anyone. I really should read more!
So if a clipped queen is in the hive you may get a prime swarm with a virgin.....?is that right?
E

I have no idea Enrico, i was hoping there where my bees when i rushed to try and collect them but i sadly failed (too late), the only hive i thought they where from was a hive with a clipped 2017 Queen and one sealed Queen cell (that still remained in the hive after the swarm had gone), if i missed a impossible to see Queen cell they could have been my bees, i will never know really,but it got me thinking either way.
By the way you have not mislead me and nobody else has either..

 

[Noddy]

Some prime swarms have been known to contain not only the old queen but several virgins as well. So anything is possible particularly in a colony where the queen has had her wings clipped and cannot fly.

One of East Dorset BKA members recently had a swarm with 13 queens in it, with video evidence, posted on the EDBKA Facebook page.