I've never been any good at spotting my queens, and I think I am getting worse. Are there tricks of the trade someone could pass one? Do you just concentrate on certain frames? In a certain place on the frame? In a 3 box medium brood chamber is she More likely to be up or down?
I can never pinch my old queens and re-queen cause I can't find her majesty and mostly have to rely on supersedure or swarms and I am not sure that is such a bad idea (except if you lose the swarm).
Linda D
As I move through my frames, if the frame has only necter or necter/pollen, I don't bother even looking for the queen there. If the frame contains capped brood, but no larvae, same deal. It's the frames with eggs, or eggs and young larvae where I find my queens the most. If she is on a frame with capped brood, then most of the time, that frame is directly next to the one with most of the eggs.
Beyond that, it was explained to me like this: You know those posters where you have to blur your eyes to see the picture? It's kind of like that. Take a deep breath, scan over the frame, but do not try and look at each and every bee.
I know it sounds crazy, but it worked for me, and I've gotten really good at figuring out which frame a queen should be on, and looking until I find her.
Oh, yea! I almost forgot to remind you to take two frames out and set them aside (#1&2 or #9&10) to give you room to create gaps between the frames as you search. If you don't, you can further complicate your issue with the fact that a disturbed queen can jump from frame to frame and really frustrate your efforts.
you will learn to recognize the behavior of the bees around the queen. the frame that she's on is usually very calm. around her, the bees will usually be facing her and attending to her. when you do spot the queen, take some time to watch the bees behavior around her. when you have learned to spot that, you'll be much better at finding her.
as AliciaH said, she will almost always be on a frame with the newest eggs and larvae. that's not a firm rule because if she's looking for places to lay, she may be filling in spots on a frame of emerging brood also.
Good direction and works most of the time but if you smoked the bees before you went in all bets are off, the last time I HAD to find a queen I finally found her on frame 20 against the hive wall, no brood in sight. If you really need to find her you may have to check em all. As far as technique ....don't really have one. All my queens seem to be very runny so they are easy to find...fastest thing moving on the frame, take a look at this one.
Little Swarms First Inspection (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F99WtoNiOhA#ws)
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_Fn0GxFpofWo/TB_RDjZo8oI/AAAAAAAAAh8/iOFr-pGN67c/s400/h4-2.jpg)
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_Fn0GxFpofWo/TB_Qfzj6-MI/AAAAAAAAAh0/p8cOxzK3nsE/s400/qc.h3.1.jpg)
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_Fn0GxFpofWo/TB_RWLGyKxI/AAAAAAAAAic/Os0yPxAk2OM/s400/h4-4.jpg)
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_Fn0GxFpofWo/TB_Pb7tSD7I/AAAAAAAAAt4/XS3-hWtGiM0/s400/h-3-0.JPG)
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesqueenspotting.htm (http://www.bushfarms.com/beesqueenspotting.htm)
Thanks guys. Think I got some helpful tips.
I can usually pick her out in a still photo, but its all that movement on a crowded frame with bees buzzing around my veil that makes it a little harder to consentrate.
Hey, NasalSponge. Where are you in OKC. I live on the water at Ski Island in NW OKC. Are you near by?
Linda D
is she marked? After about a week after I got my package I marked all 4 of them while she was running around on the frame. Just a dab is all it took.. now its a lot easier to find her.
I found one queen in the top box with no comb and very few bees a couple days ago. weird
.
When you open the brood box, you see propably a dense point of bees between couple of frames.Queen is there.
Take a frame away far from dense point. Don't push smoke on bees.
When you open the dense frames, you see a long leg - big tail mom walking there.
But the queen walk around the the hive checking its Queendom. If you do not find the queen easily, take another time.
Alright, feel free to call shenanigans on this one, but the bees on the frame with the queen sound different to me. There is a distinct 'rustling' type sound that is always apparent on a frame that the queen is on.
Quote from: VolunteerK9 on May 18, 2011, 09:46:01 AM
Alright, feel free to call shenanigans on this one, but the bees on the frame with the queen sound different to me. There is a distinct 'rustling' type sound that is always apparent on a frame that the queen is on.
K9, this would be a good place to do a blindfolded experiment. Have someone hold frames, one at a time, close to your ear and see if you can pick out the queen frame by sound alone.
Very true. Maybe its an overall thing that Im noticing. Sound, what the bees are doing etc. I know it sounds weird-Ill try and get the wife on board with it.
Best way to find a queen?
Get you a Schawee! :-D
...JP
:lau:
Quote from: JP on May 18, 2011, 12:23:21 PM
Best way to find a queen?
Get you a Schawee! :-D
...JP
Yup, they are hard to come by though. Just hope ole Eagle Eyes doesnt get washed away
Quote from: VolunteerK9 on May 18, 2011, 09:46:01 AM
There is a distinct 'rustling' type sound that is always apparent on a frame that the queen is on.
I cannot hear any sound from frames
I dont know. Maybe its due to one too many meth lab raids. 8-)
hey,i was trained by the best :-D ...schawee
Rainbow moment, group hug! :-D
...JP
I feel all warm and fuzzy now.
QuoteBest way to find a queen?
Get you a Schawee!
yeah, but that could get expensive with all them vanilla shakes and such :-D
He won't touch a shake since Burger Delight closed, but man, he can wear a buffet out! :-D
...JP