queen balled

[bees4u]

I was inspected the other day by the BDI, he was gentle and hadn't shaken the bees about & they balled a really good queen, for no real reason, and she was a well established queen too. Then blow me it happened again yesterday when I was moving a nuc into a hive and they killed a lovely new queen the same way, I just wondered if anyone else is having this happen? In 32yrs of bee keeping it's only ever happened when I've looked at queens too early or some other silly mistake. My friend said he always carries a water sprayer for this problem, any ideas?

 

[protheroe]

i have had quite a few balled on nuc inspections this year with a couple killed.One queen was laying really well,i caged her for 3 days after a really frantic balling .then after release they still killed her.Last year i had queens balled but none killed,i think the bees were panicking and protecting the queen.This year it seemed a lot more aggressive as if it was more to do with removing the queen rather than protecting her[thats the way i see it anyway]but why they do it to the point of killing a perfectly good queen ,i just dont know

 

[theengraver]

This Is a problem thats happening everywere this year.
I speak to around 300 beekeepers a week and this year It Is very common problem. not only in nucs but established hives. The issue seemed to have started around the start of June this year as yet there seems to be no real reson the only factor so far is that a lot of bees have had a lot longer life span this summer due to less flying time.
I informed the bee NBU a month or so ago and also BIBBA. And sent out a warning In my newsletter this month telling beekeepers
to Double check your hives to make sure your Queen Right going in to Winter this year. There has also been a lot of talk that this year winter losses are going to be very high this year.

Another problem this summer has also been the high level of losses due to starvation.

 

[cak29]

I had this happen to me as well, seems we are not alone!

 

[justme]

Anyway I can get a copy of your newsletter? Havent seen anything from NBU.

Please:.) Or is for a particular group/assoc or something?

This Is a problem thats happening everywere this year.
I speak to around 300 beekeepers a week and this year It Is very common problem. not only in nucs but established hives. The issue seemed to have started around the start of June this year as yet there seems to be no real reson the only factor so far is that a lot of bees have had a lot longer life span this summer due to less flying time.
I informed the bee NBU a month or so ago and also BIBBA. And sent out a warning In my newsletter this month telling beekeepersto Double check your hives to make sure your Queen Right going in to Winter this year. There has also been a lot of talk that this year winter losses are going to be very high this year.

Another problem this summer has also been the high level of losses due to starvation.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I reckon this must have happened to me too.
I bought a queen,put her into a nuc, caged her for a week then opened the cage to let the bees eat the fondant, checked that the cage was empty a week later then a week after that had a quick peek to see her walking about the frame. The following week there were QCs and no queen.

 

[DorsetB]

Interesting thread. I thought I was alone or had gone senile and had forgotten something essential to queen introduction 101.

I have had queens disappear (5 x of last year's new queens) in April/May, virgins mate then disappear after laying their first patch of eggs, established queens vanish to be replaced by queen cells which hatch, the queen mates, then she also vanishes, and all hell break loose when uniting a small nuc to a colony using the tried & tested newspaper method with the queen ending up dead.

I have also had newly introduced queen cells torn down when this was the only QC in the hive - the same bees did this 4 times despite me introducing QCs from different batches/strains.

I've also had 3 x DLQs, I usually get 1 a year maximum, if at all - undoubtedly due to poor mating caused by the spring weather.

I have doubled the number of autumn queens and nucs I am raising, in the hope I will have more "spares" ready for spring than usual, but of course the other concern now all my hives and nucs have a viable laying queen (for now) is how well/often did they mate, and is their spermathica "full".

I have also collected nearly 30 swarms this year, and at least 5 of them were queenless. In two of these cases, I actually found the queen dead on the ground with no obvious injuries. (Both of these were on car park tarmac so were easy to spot).

 

[bees4u]

I feel better now I know others are having the same problem, I thought it was something I was doing! Very pleased that I mentioned it on here & NBU informed. You see it does pay to express your worries on here even if you think your are a long standing bee keeper with plenty of experience, your never too good to listen or learn from all bee keepers

 

[DorsetB]

Also I can't help thinking there must be a correlation between what's mentioned above and the sheer volume of swarms this year, much higher than other years (in my area anyway).

 

[m100]

I had one balled a few weeks ago after I'd marked and clipped her. The marking was as usual with a posca marker and I've never had an issue with them other than one time the ink poured out and I suffocated the queen This time I suspect the problem was my hands were a bit sweaty after being in nitriles for 30 mins or so. Despite being new on that inspection they were plastered with propolis hence why I removed them.

I sprayed the queen with a bit of water before she went back on the frame, workers were calm but one walked up and stung her a few seconds later, then the rest joined in.

In future I'll use a fresh pair of gloves.

 

[For want of a better word]

I have not been marking queens unless I feel I may need to find them easily for some reason... due to the fear of balling from disastrous experiences in the past.

Have noticed that the old white correcting paint typex? stuff stayed on longer than these new uniposco paints... also wondered if the bees just do not like yellow.. is there a colour problem do you think?

 

[HelenHP16]

oh dear - I think that this may have happened to my queen today. Whilst inspecting I saw her for a moment before she was buried under a big pile of bees - standing about an inch out from the frame - does this mean she has probably gone? They were their usual gentle selves towards me..............

H

 

[eddiespangle]

me too

I found one of my queens walking around on the hive stand. When I put her back she was balled. 3 weeks ago i had 14 queenright hives...now i have 4!

another of my hives was completely empty, no bees, brood or stores...very odd.

 

[Hivemaker.]

3 weeks ago i had 14 queenright hives...now i have 4!

Why is that.

 

[TOBY-3652]

good question i was thinking the same