Yesterday the queens were emerging from their queen cells in my observation hive. It was pretty cool when I put my ear to the glass I could hear real well the queens piping to each other and was able to spot an already emerged Virgin probably looking for other Virgin queens to eliminate. I oppened up the hive and started to look for queen cells to salvage which was tough with the number of bees on the comb. The piping helped in locating them. I was able to salvage two queen cells and placed one of the queen in my queenles mating hive. :-D The other queen I lost since I place her in a Nicot hair roller cage that I did not realize was missing the brown cell cup so had a hole in it that she used to escape. :oops:
I still hear a queen piping in the hive this mornning so know it is queenright. How long do Virgin queens pipe?
Zunibee has a recording of the piping sound foranyone who has not heard it before.
http://zunibee.com/musicList.php?pg=musicnew
Why Do Queens Pipe Anyway?
Papabear, if I am not mistaken, it is like a war cry. They are sounding their release from their cell of their new life to the world and their intention of death to the other queens that are still prisoners in their cells.
They perform this sound by pressing their thorax against the frame/comb and it is the vibration that makes this sound. Have a wonderful day, best of this life. Cindi