Should I attempt releasing queen

[beesleybees]

Hi guys,

I introduced a queen to a queenless swarm I got a couple of weeks ago. she has been in her cage along with some fondant and attendent for the past 5 days. I didnt check on her saturday as I felt I was interfering too much and couldnt check on her yesterday (sunday) as the weather is so bad here.

Today as said is her 5th day and I was thinking about releasing her but again the weather is appauling here. Its not stopped raining since yesterday!!!

Im worried that her fondant reserve may be low now or none existant. This is the first time ive introduced a queen so its all new to me but what do guys think I should do?? should i hope for a break in the weather today or leave her where she is until the weather picks up??

any advice much appreciated

 

[Hivemaker.]

The bees will be feeding her,but if they are not balling the cage then realease her....how did you find out the swarm was Q-,or was it a shook swarm,package.

 

[beesleybees]

The bees will be feeding her,but if they are not balling the cage then realease her....how did you find out the swarm was Q-,or was it a shook swarm,package.

Its a long story really but I went and collected this swarm after someone else had been 3 weeks prior to collect it. When they went, they told the householder that they had the queen and the rest of the bees should disperse. 3 weeks later the remaining bees hadnt gone but had built comb in the middle of the privet bush.

I removed it and checked the comb for eggs/larvae. no signs of either. I left is a weeks and a half and checked again. They had built a fair bit of comb on the corners of the frames and put honey in there but again no eggs or larvae found and as it wasnt a big swarm, I tried to spot the queen with no luck.

 

[Hivemaker.]

I see,a test comb would still of been a good idea.

 

[beesleybees]

I see,a test comb would still of been a good idea.

yep, your right but I only have 2 hives at the min that are next to each other and one is doing well, the other not so well so I was fearful of introducing disease by transfering frames.

I picked another large swarm up saturday. Apparently it had decided to reside under and umbrella in a very rough looking pub in liverpool. The customers had decided to try and burn them away!!! and they eventually moved and settled on a wall 5 metres away. I was called by the residents to collect it and while i was collecting it, i had a guy (pure scum) walking over to the swarm and collecting some bees in a cigarette box so he could release them near his mate in the pub. I didnt argue with him as apparently, and hour before I arrived at the swarm, he was seen flicking the bees off the wall with a knife he was carrying. I was so hoping he would get stung as he well and truly deserved it.

anyway, im hoping the queen has been killed or injured in this swarm.

 

[Hivemaker.]

No problem with introducing disease regards a test comb from one of your own hives,unless you know your own bees are diseased in some way,get them tested if in doubt. But if you are positive the swarm has no queen, then it would of been okay to release the queen after 24 hours or sooner no problem.

 

[burren]

sorry, the attendants had been released, hadnt they?

 

[Hebeegeebee]

If the queen is in a cage with a plastic tab, you can break off the tab and leave them to eat her out. If the weather is poor, some syrup feed would not be a bad idea as it will make them happier and they may need it anyway.

If they have been queenless for such a time they should be very content to have her out and laying.

 

[beesleybees]

I realeased her yesterday which I think was a good move.

They where no longer balling her and had just 2 or 3 around her whilst she was in the cage. When I released her, she was very slow walking out, It was almost like she was lathargic! is this normal?? she did have a supply of fondant in the cage with her that hadnt run out.

how long should I give it before having a look in the hive? 7 days ok or should I look sooner

 

[madasafish]

Do nothing for a week.

That's my policy - and so far it works ...

 

[kazmcc]

Just have to say that the scum part of your post above angers the hell out of me. I have to live among "people"......and I use the term loosely.....like this and I just wish someone would round them up on signing on day and bung them in a hospital to test shampoos on etc. They make everyones life a misery. I hope he got stung and suffered an extreme allergic reaction.

Ahem, rant over.

 

[TOBY-3652]

There still scum though

 

[Hebeegeebee]

bb, young queens are skittish, they slow down as they mature so no worries!

 

[Swarm]

I just wish someone would round them up on signing on day.

I understand your feelings for low life but comments like this rile the hell outa me. My wife lost her job just after Christmas and she made herself very ill (hospitalised) with worry and the amount she was doing to find another. My son has been searching for over a year.
Can you imagine how it feels when you are lumped in with scumbags because you share one common denominator?
Luckily they have both found jobs now.

 

[moby]

Just have to say that the scum part of your post above angers the hell out of me. I have to live among "people"......and I use the term loosely.....like this and I just wish someone would round them up on signing on day and bung them in a hospital to test shampoos on etc. They make everyones life a misery. I hope he got stung and suffered an extreme allergic reaction.

Ahem, rant over.

Me thinks Kazmcc is refering to those that are not willing to work and have made a career of sponging off the state...

 

[kazmcc]

Me thinks Kazmcc is refering to those that are not willing to work and have made a career of sponging off the state...

Yes I am. Your wife doesn't make a career of dodging work, then spending the day making the lives of decent people a misery. I am out of work myself, studying at the moment. There is a huge difference between those of us who are not working because we aren't in a position to and those who have no intention of working ever, and then behave terribly. I apologise, I thought I made that clear.
I mean, why was this person carrying a knife around? These people make my blood boil. I have had trouble with a certain neighbour who is getting fat from his dole cheque while selling drugs and attracting this kind of lunatic - gangs of them - hanging around outside my house. The police do nothing, so forgive me if my feelings are strong about these kinds of people. I know everyone is finding it hard at the moment, but people like this will be fine no doubt. Like I say, use them for experiments instead of animals.

 

[stilllearning]

its funny but someone once told me that a beehive is the purist form of communism you can get, no one bee in charge but everything decided by the colony as a whole and the main principle is survival of the colony, any bee not needed is "disposed " of ... just look at the drones at the end of the season, a poorly mated queen.....same fate, if food is needed brood is sacrificed......no concious in making any decision,NO MONEY involved !! how nice life would be (until you get old of course, when your children kick you out of home to starve to death) if us humans could do the same....but then again