queen pheronome

[essex b's]

I can usually find answers to my questions here, but this one is new to me. I had to do an A/S today, trapping the queen under a crown of thorns trap for a few minutes during the process.
20 minutes later, I was looking for a newly mated queen in a 6 frame nuc. She was spotted and trapped under the COT. Seeing no eggs, I decided to release her without marking, as she may still be unmated. On release, she was immediately chased across the comb by a worker, which was doing her best to sting her.
I lost sight of the queen at this stage, and presume she was killed. I can check this with a frame of brood tomorrow.
I assume the queen pheronome from the first queen trapped caused the confusion on release of the second queen?. would this be correct?. Also, how would it be best to decontaminate the crown of thorns trap between hives in future? Would a spray with lavander air freshner be advisable, or would it just cause more problems.
Any advice/observations would be appreciated

 

[beeno]

That scenario makes sense to me. Just rinse in washing soda bucket.

 

[Finman]

I assume the queen pheronome from the first queen trapped caused the confusion on release of the second queen?. would this be correct?.

Reason was NOT pheronomes. It was, that you was too busy to give the new queen. Yeah. Those experienced beekeepers just put the new queen onto comb, but it actually does not go this way.

I got from Italy 5 queens last week, and it took with all 4 days before I can realese the queens. Bees tried to sting the cages. So I saw that accepting is not easy.

 

[essex b's]

Reason was NOT pheronomes. It was, that you was too busy to give the new queen. Yeah. Those experienced beekeepers just put the new queen onto comb, but it actually does not go this way.

I got from Italy 5 queens last week, and it took with all 4 days before I can realese the queens. Bees tried to sting the cages. So I saw that accepting is not easy.

But the rejected queen was from the same nuc. it never left the nuc, but was inside the previously used CoT,s. Thats why I presumed it was contaminated by the previous occupant.

 

[For want of a better word]

But the rejected queen was from the same nuc. it never left the nuc, but was inside the previously used CoT,s. Thats why I presumed it was contaminated by the previous occupant.

Sounds reasonable to me...recently I used a plunger type queen marking cage to hold a queen in when prepping up a colony for cell raising.
I find them easier to use that the butterfly clips that usually break due to poor design and wrong type of plastic...

However I place the unwashed cage on top of a frame on another colony as I went to get the soda + bleach tub .... bees went manic even stinging the nylon mesh end and foam plunger!

Scrub up between colonies and wash of excess soda/bleach with a clean rosemary water spray.


Yeghes da

 

[Finman]

But the rejected queen was from the same nuc. it never left the nuc, but was inside the previously used CoT,s. Thats why I presumed it was contaminated by the previous occupant.

Then I do not understand... What is going on there...

.

 

[birdsandbees]

you've only got to leave a marking cage on top of the hive to see how strong the pheromones from a queen can be, I've seen it a few times where a small pile gathers up on it after the queen has been released but must admit I've never had a queen chased after marking, fingers crossed she got away and they soon calmed down.

 

[Quis Custodiet]

.............On release, she was immediately chased across the comb by a worker, which was doing her best to sting her.........

it is likely that the queen was running and not settled as a more mature q. would be. It is good practice to keep q. in a matchbox on the top bars for a few minutes to allow her to settle, before being released into the dark between frames.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

never seen that happen and often mark a series of hives in succession in spring - I don't wash the COT between hives either

 

[essex b's]

Maybe a happy ending. On todays inspection there was evidence of a laying queen being present. I did not see her this time but will recognise her when I do as she was much darker than my usual ginger Essex mongrels

 

[Anduril]

never seen that happen and often mark a series of hives in succession in spring - I don't wash the COT between hives either

I've marked many queens on the same day without incident.