- Joined
- May 26, 2021
- Messages
- 229
- Reaction score
- 61
- Location
- Salisbury
- Hive Type
- WBC
- Number of Hives
- 5
I'd heard about this, but not seen it. However...
Today I found the queen in a swarm I'd taken a couple of weeks back. I caught her as gently as I could between two fingers and marked her. Then I put her back on the frame and she just lay on her back, dead. I was horrified.
I watched for a while (three or four minutes) as the bees fussed around her but she was quite immobile. So I gently placed her on top of one of the frames and closed up the hive.
I went back in after I'd finished with the other hives and there she was, running about happily - and now easy to spot. Sneaky little critter...
Today I found the queen in a swarm I'd taken a couple of weeks back. I caught her as gently as I could between two fingers and marked her. Then I put her back on the frame and she just lay on her back, dead. I was horrified.
I watched for a while (three or four minutes) as the bees fussed around her but she was quite immobile. So I gently placed her on top of one of the frames and closed up the hive.
I went back in after I'd finished with the other hives and there she was, running about happily - and now easy to spot. Sneaky little critter...