Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Nock on May 18, 2020, 03:38:24 pm
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Checked in on a swarm I caught in a trap. Been two weeks since I caught them. First time in. This is the one where majority of bees were in trap. But I found a small softball cluster out on the ground. So I assumed maybe multiple Queens. The small cluster is doing fine. Queen is laying. The hive with the majority looks to have a laying worker. I didn?t see the Queen but was finding multiple eggs sometimes 3 or 4 in cells. But the eggs are in the bottom of cells so could this possibly be a young queen still trying to get straightened out? I was thinking LW eggs would be on the cell walls. Should I give them a few more days and check? If I still can?t locate the Queen and seeing multiple eggs what should I do? Will they expect eggs if I give them a frame so they can make QC? Or should I try to paper combine with a smaller hive? Or shake them? Thanks
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Wait one week and check again. If multiple eggs then, shake them out.
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Eggs on the bottom of the cell is most likely a new queen showing her...excitement in her new role.
Also, if you have "a" laying working, you have multiple laying workers.
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Laying worker eggs don't stand on end. They'll be scattered in bottom of cells.
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Nock, if the comb is new and short, I have seen LW lay on bottom center of a cell just like a queen would lay. Is the comb new? Agreed multiple eggs is LW, I have seen new queens lay 2 eggs in a cell but not very many cells had two eggs.
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+1 to what iddee says.
Do nothing, wait. If again multiple eggs at next check then paper combine them on top of a strong hive, OR shake them out and completely remove the equipment so they have to beg into other hives.
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Van it is new comb. I?ll give them some time and check again. Thanks everyone.
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The cappings on the pupa is what will tell the tale when you check again.
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AR, I still have your nuc body. If we ever have another meeting, I?ll return.
Van
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That's OK Van, you didn't know it, but I'm charging you rent!
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Little update. I went back into this hive last Sunday. Still no signs of a Queen and still signs of laying workers. I even saw three laying. So I went ahead and shook the bees out in the yard. And removed the box. After doing this I decided to go check a swarm box I had on my neighbor. Haven?t checked it in a month probably. I open it and see about half a frame drawn out. There was a total of three bees in the box. Two workers and a Queen. So I close it up. Go home get a clip. Go back and open it up. She starts to come up the wall I go to catch her and the clip breaks. That was my first and will be my only plastic clip haha. So she flys. She starts flying around the tree. So I put the box back up. After a few minutes she comes back and goes in. This time I take box and all home. I used a wad of mud to block the entrance on ride home. I take it inside the house to the bathroom. In case she fly?s again least brings in a small room. I catch her and put her in a cage. I dabbed a little honey on screen. She immediately started feeding. So I go back and check on the bees I shook. Part went to a box next to old spot. The rest were back on the hive stand. So I placed the cage on stand and they immediately went to cage. I watched for awhile. They were trying to feed her and were fanning the spot. So I took a gamble and put the cage in a nuc and placed it in the spot. They marched right in. I went back in three days and they had released her. And she was alive and well. So what do you think happened with the swarm she was in? Maybe a small swarm with a virgin. And with all the crap weather we have had it took along time for her to mate. And the numbers just dwindled down?
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abscond.... The rest died after an insecticide poisoning, would be my guess.
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Nock, what a story!!!! Two bees and a queen? ID has a good a guess as any. I might add a second possibility: a feral queen that settled in the only spot she could find that would accept her. Most hives will not accept a feral queen. If my guess is correct, she will thrive, if ID is correct, she should have effects of the poison soon.
Great story, one for the books titled:SUPER RARE BEE EVENTS!
CHEERS
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I also wonder if they absconded. If so why would she not go with them? I will keep a eye on her for any effects of poisoning. Thanks.
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So what do you think happened with the swarm she was in?
My guess would be disease/mites or a combination of both.