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Author Topic: Left Behind Queen  (Read 1840 times)

Online Ben Framed

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Left Behind Queen
« on: September 16, 2020, 12:17:33 am »
I recently watched a video where a hive had apparently absconded. The queen was left behind. In a situation such as this is the queen usually worth saving? Your thoughts please.
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline JurassicApiary

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Re: Left Behind Queen
« Reply #1 on: September 16, 2020, 12:49:46 am »
I've never heard of a hive absconding and abandoning the queen.  I had a cut-out try to abscond this summer; They all rushed out and took to the air, but I had a queen excluder in place anticipating this possibility and about 20 minutes later everyone got back in the hive because Her Highness didn't come out.  It would seem odd that they would actually leave her behind and not return to retrieve her as mentioned in your post as that behavior would spell doom for the colony.

Although rare, is it possible that there was a second queen that went unnoticed that they fled with?

Offline TheHoneyPump

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Left Behind Queen
« Reply #2 on: September 16, 2020, 01:02:58 am »
Was the queen marked?  I could envision such a situation where there was a soon to emerge queen cell.   Everyone left except the 15-20 bees tending the queen cell. (They did not get the memo). The mass of the colony leaves (abscond ... or dies). The Queen cell emerges and there she is.  A virgin and 20 bees left with a big house.
Often I beg to know more details when folks talk of a hive that they say absconded.  It is quite a rare occurrence in my experience.  Usually, that abscond turns out to actually be a case of CCD.
When the lid goes back on, the bees will spend the next 3 days undoing most of what the beekeeper just did to them.

Online BeeMaster2

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Re: Left Behind Queen
« Reply #3 on: September 28, 2020, 10:55:49 am »
My bet is that you had 2 queens, mother daughter. You probably have the mother.
Take a picture of her and post it. I?m curious if it is a virgin or an old queen.
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Online Ben Framed

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Re: Left Behind Queen
« Reply #4 on: September 28, 2020, 11:58:46 am »
My bet is that you had 2 queens, mother daughter. You probably have the mother.
Take a picture of her and post it. I?m curious if it is a virgin or an old queen.
Jim Altmiller

Good questions Jim, HP, and Jurassic. The video was made by one of our members here. He made the video and expressed his desire to save the queen. If he reads this, maybe he will chime in with answers to your questions and thoughts.




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« Last Edit: September 28, 2020, 01:26:46 pm by Ben Framed »
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline beesnweeds

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Re: Left Behind Queen
« Reply #5 on: September 29, 2020, 12:20:53 am »
  When somebody tells me their bees absconded this time of year the first thing I think of is Parasitic Mite Syndrome.  I've only seen it a few times but usually there's a queen and a few bees left looking like they absconded when really they died off and the rest drifted, it can happen fast.  I would check for lots of dead mites on the bottom board, mite feces (guanine, looks like white deposits in the cells).  Or if there is a few pupae left, check them for mites.  Also look for dead bees with crinkled wings or short abdomens on the bottom board or on the ground around the hive stand.  If other colonies are close by do a mite count on them asap and you may have your answer as to why the hive is in that condition.
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Online Ben Framed

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Re: Left Behind Queen
« Reply #6 on: September 29, 2020, 08:34:51 am »
> When somebody tells me their bees absconded this time of year the first thing I think of is Parasitic Mite Syndrome.  I've only seen it a few times but usually there's a queen and a few bees left looking like they absconded when really they died off and the rest drifted, it can happen fast. 


 beesnweeds  I tend to think you may be right. And if so would this queen be worth saving?  My opinion is I would not want her simply on the suspicion she may be infested with this or some other virus or illness. Wondering if she may pass it on to her offspring. Would this be a fair analogy? Or does PMS or other viruses and illnesses work this way?
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline beesnweeds

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Re: Left Behind Queen
« Reply #7 on: September 29, 2020, 07:16:54 pm »
beesnweeds  I tend to think you may be right. And if so would this queen be worth saving?  My opinion is I would not want her simply on the suspicion she may be infested with this or some other virus or illness. Wondering if she may pass it on to her offspring. Would this be a fair analogy? Or does PMS or other viruses and illnesses work this way?

  The viruses effecting the colony with PMS are vectored by the mites not the queen. she may be fine.  The queens offspring may not be very varroa or disease resistant but that would be hard to determine.  I'm sure there are viruses that can be passed on by the queen but they probably aren't as common, just guessing.  Research was done with introducing queens from failing hives to strong hives and they turned out to be excellent queens.  So other factors are at play with failing hives other than the queen.  As far as saving the queen, if the beekeeper has the resources it would be an interesting learning experience to see if she is a good laying queen.   
Everyone loves a worker.... until its laying.

Online Ben Framed

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Re: Left Behind Queen
« Reply #8 on: September 29, 2020, 10:44:50 pm »
beesnweeds  I tend to think you may be right. And if so would this queen be worth saving?  My opinion is I would not want her simply on the suspicion she may be infested with this or some other virus or illness. Wondering if she may pass it on to her offspring. Would this be a fair analogy? Or does PMS or other viruses and illnesses work this way?

  The viruses effecting the colony with PMS are vectored by the mites not the queen. she may be fine.  The queens offspring may not be very varroa or disease resistant but that would be hard to determine.  I'm sure there are viruses that can be passed on by the queen but they probably aren't as common, just guessing.  Research was done with introducing queens from failing hives to strong hives and they turned out to be excellent queens.  So other factors are at play with failing hives other than the queen.  As far as saving the queen, if the beekeeper has the resources it would be an interesting learning experience to see if she is a good laying queen.

Thank you Sir for you input. Yes it would be an interesting learning experience to see if she was a good laying queen.
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Online Michael Bush

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Re: Left Behind Queen
« Reply #9 on: October 04, 2020, 04:48:35 pm »
Early in the year when they have a chance of building up for winter, if you have other strong hives, you could steal a frame or two of brood and a frame or two of honey and possibly save the queen and see how she does.  This time of year it's probably not worth the trouble.
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