Weird swarming or queen mating?

[Joe_01]

Hi all,

This is my 4th year beekeeping but the first time I've seen something like this.

Basically, I did a walkaway split on Sat 29th May. This split was with two sealed swarm queen cells which were just about to emerge.

Two days later on Mon 31st May at 1500 I watched as the bees from this nuc all swarmed into the air. I watched them as they flew around and rather than going to a nearby tree or bush, they all landed back on the nuc and started fanning by the entrance. Within 30 mins the nuc was back to the way it was before and the bees were happy flying in and out.

This morning at 0745 it happened again. They all flew up into the air, landed back on the nuc, fanned and then walked back in.

Question is, is this them trying to swarm and the new queen not coming out with them or is this the queen going to mate and the other girls are just getting all excited?

Any advice is apricated.

Joe

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

if you did a 'walkaway' split three days ago, it's hardly likely that they would have made a queen and she would have emerged in three days.
I think you need to tell us the whole story

 

[Joe_01]

if you did a 'walkaway' split three days ago, it's hardly likely that they would have made a queen and she would have emerged in three days.
I think you need to tell us the whole story

The split went in the nuc with 2 queen cells that were about to pop. Sorry "walkaway" split is probably the wrong term to use. Artificial swarm might be a better one.

 

[ANDubuis]

Both were mating flights IMO

 

[Antipodes]

The split went in the nuc with 2 queen cells that were about to pop. Sorry "walkaway" split is probably the wrong term to use. Artificial swarm might be a better one.

Seems to be too early for mating flights.

 

[BugsInABox]

Could it have been orientation?

 

[Joe_01]

Could it have been orientation?

We are talking about 1000s of bees all at the same time and then 10 minutes later...nothing. I would like to think that but I don't think so. I've seen orientations before but this was more swarm-like.

 

[BugsInABox]

Just wondering if after a move of locations they all have to do it at once? Maybe depend on the age of the moved bees?

 

[Swarm]

Sounds very much like mating flights, though three days after emerging does seem a little early.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Checking my records from a few years ago - had a queen mated only a couple of days after emerging

 

[robinharman]

When you did the split did you see the queen?
Could they already have swarmed?
If so you could have had a virgin(s) in the split and they were on mating flights.
What has happened to the two cells you left? Standard opened or ripped down?