So I was doing a cutout this morning and found the queen - I gently caught her but she squirmed out and flew off. If I leave the box is it possible she will return?
I did a cut out a few weeks ago, left the hive in position over the old hive for a day, looks like no queen. They have made queen cells in the new hive.
I once removed a super and took it about 150 yards to my garage. I thought I blew out nearly all the bees but before I closed the garage door I saw the queen. It flew out before I could get it. I thought the hive was then queenless and started to look. When I arrived, I saw the queen land and enter the hive. I learned something new. I also wonder if it entered the hive because it was the closest one. If it had entered another hive it could have been killed. I was surprised to see the queen even knew where to go.
She entered that hive because it had her scent. If it was a different hive, she probably would not enter it knowing she would bee killed.
Jim
Usually a hive being cut out is fanning nasonov a lot. Odds are she will either return to the old location or the new hive.