Queen out and about

[Otis Hogg]

I was looking at my hive today and they seen to be a lot of bees on the landing board. I had a closed look and the queen (New this year) was stood there surrounded her minions just taking in the sun. They were not balling her, just fussing around her.
I had inspected them on Monday and everything was ok, not swarm or queen cells. The hive is a little feisty even with this new queen.
I gently brushed her back inside and that seemed to be the end of it.
Is this normal or not?

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Not very normal, no.

 

[Fatbee]

When you say Everything was OK do you mean she was laying?

 

[Otis Hogg]

She was a new mated queen 2 months ago, laying like mad. There was capped brood larva and eggs in the hive on Monday. It was just very odd to see her on the landing board

 

[YorkshireBees]

It would certainly worry me, not seen or heard of that happening before!

 

[Tremyfro]

She probably went out to check on the rumour that the weather had improved....all those exciting bee dances must have made her inquisitive!

 

[snelgrove]

very strange, any queen cells in hive, known young queens to swarm same year as mated, may have tried to swarm but queen refused to leave, just guessing to be truthful.

 

[Otis Hogg]

No queen cell when I looked on the Monday, Ill have another look this weekend. They seem fine, pollen is coming in and there no more nastier then usual.

 

[enrico]

Certainly unusual. Bet you never see it again.
E

 

[B+.]

Is this normal or not?

You rarely see a queen outside the hive unless she is returning from a mating flight. However, I have had queens turn up in other nucs (see my thread stupid virgin queens http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?p=487392#post487392) where it happened not once, but twice with the same queen.
I wonder if it happens and we just don't see it because we don't sit watching the hive all of time

 

[beeno]

Heard of it once before and this queen did it on a number of occasions. New beeks were not too keen to be gifted that particular nuc.

 

[Otis Hogg]

Inspection day

Had an inspection day yesterday, I found 2 supercedure cells with larva inside. I looked through the frames twice and the queen was nowhere to be found. It looks like there were trying to kick here out that day when I saw her on the landing board.

Paul

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Had an inspection day yesterday, I found 2 supercedure cells with larva inside. I looked through the frames twice and the queen was nowhere to be found. It looks like there were trying to kick here out that day when I saw her on the landing board.

Paul

Or they've swarmed..............................