Went after one came back with two

Started by Nock, May 02, 2020, 04:00:46 PM

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Nock

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Buddy mine told me bees were coming and going from one my traps. I checked that box on Monday nobody home then. I gave it a squirt on the entrance. So I got there this morning at daylight. Covered the entrance. Took a peek in. A lot of bees. So I got ready to take it down. I noticed a small cluster. Bigger than a softball. So I figured it was probably another Virgin  Queen. Luckily I had a cardboard box in back of truck. I was able to cut the little tree they were on and got them in the box. I did a quick look at home but didn?t see her. So I just dumped them in a nuc. I?m guessing virgins. I?ll wait 10 days or so and check for a laying queen.  I?ve heard of multiple virgins in a swarm.  Is it common for a virgin to be in with a mated Queen? 

van from Arkansas

Nock good for you.  I don?t have much experience with swarms so I will let those with more knowledge than I answer.

When I first looked at your pic of the swarm, I saw a HEART shaped swarm, yes, kinda of heart shaped if you look at the picture.  Totally cool, your swarm loves you.
Blessings
Van
I have been around bees a long time, since birth.  I am a hobbyist so my answers often reflect this fact.  I concentrate on genetics, raise my own queens by wet graft, nicot, with natural or II breeding.  I do not sell queens, I will give queens  for free but no shipping.

Nock

Quote from: van from Arkansas on May 02, 2020, 08:12:00 PM
Nock good for you.  I don?t have much experience with swarms so I will let those with more knowledge than I answer.

When I first looked at your pic of the swarm, I saw a HEART shaped swarm, yes, kinda of heart shaped if you look at the picture.  Totally cool, your swarm loves you.
Blessings
Van
You know now that you say that it does. I hope they do.

cao

Typically if the swarm has a mated queen then there are no virgins since the swarm usually leaves when they cap the queen cells.  If weather keeps them from swarming for a week then there could be virgins.  Usually when you have virgin queens in a swarm it is an afterswarm where they swarm after the queen cells hatch.