Queen flew off when trying to catch her

[Flatters]

The second traumatic incident for me today was with a small swarm that I got about 4 weeks ago. They have settled in nicely into their brood box and the queen has been laying well for around 3 weeks. When we inspected today we decided to mark her. When we went to get her off the frame she flew away.

I know she will have been out of the hive when she mated but is she likely to find her way back or have we lost her?

It is only a small swarm and if she is unlikely to come back I also have a cast swarm in the next hive which I think I would be best combining with this one.

I don't remember reading anywhere to watch out for the queen flying when you try and mark her.

 

[markrogers]

flatters or should that now be flutters!

i had a bee inspector call last week and as he opend up my nuke a bee flew out and settled on my leg. i looked at it and shouted that's a queen! the first one i have 'found'. fortunately he grabbed it and put it back in the hive where i hope it remains!

the inspector was sure it was a virgin which was very impressive to me, as a novice, as he knew instantly. i wonder if that's why they are called hymenoptera? ho! ho!

he told me it would fly back into the hive anyway. i presume that would be the same with a mated queen or would it?

mark

 

[thurrock bees]

she Should return to her hive, leave a week and then inspect. I have this myself when i went to clip and mark her and she decided to fly off

 

[biglongdarren]

did you leave the crown board and roof off for a while to see if she came back?

 

[Swarm]

I had a similar experience last weekend with a small nuc, I was giving them a frame of stores. I lifted a frame and noticed the queen was on it and went about adding the stores, knowing she was safe. She walked along the comb to the top bar and took to the wing but I was fortunate as she didn't go more than a foot into the air before landing again. Needless to say, the frame was put back in no time.
This was the second queen this year, the last one was flying around in front of us until we lost sight of her. She was discovered on the back of my head.
No idea if she will return but anything's possible.

 

[Flatters]

Thanks for the replies.

We did leave the crown board off for a while but she did not come back.

 

[Onge]

This has happened to me a couple of times as well.

Just left it a week and she was back laying on the next check.

On one occasion I just stayed still for a while and she flew back.

 

[the naked beekeeper]

Glad I'm not the only one this has happened to.
Except on my experience she flew straight into the hive next to the one she was on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[darren64]

the same thing happened to me,she flew off into the distance after I marked her,but she was back a couple of hours later.

 

[tberni]

I would put £5 on that she will be back in there laying. Do leave for a week and inspect.
Thanks
Tim

 

[Flatters]

Thank you all for the replies.

I shall post an update in a week. She will either be back or the hive will be in the process of being combined with another small colony.

 

[Flatters]

Well a week later and I did the inspection. Two nice queen cells there so she did not make it back.

 

[newportbuzz]

thats a pity
i almost lost a mated queen when she flew offf on me when i was trying to get rid of her attendants. lucky i did it in my greenhouse. but it was still 20 mins of fun trying to catch her

 

[oliver90owner]

lucky i did it in my greenhouse.

You now do it in a mini-greenhouse - a large plastic bag?

RAB

 

[Poly Hive]

Just a hint but if they take off stay put. IE you the big landmark that she probably saw as she took off need to be there for her to return often with in 20 mins.

PH