Do Mated Queens Of The Hive Slim Up During Drought and Mid-Winter

[Ben Framed]

Just curious, do mated queens slim down during times of drought and little larva during Mid-Winter or other times of low, slow, too no laying? If so, to the point that the queen can fly as in a swarm situation?

I am thinking out loud. I do not know about mid winter when brood is low, if she slims up or not. Same question for August when laying is slow in my area, which is usually a time of little to no rain and nor 'nectar flow'. I am wondering if she slims up then as well..... I do know it seems harder to find the queen if she is not marked, doing that August time..  Sometimes appearing there is no queen.  Maybe that is why she is hard to find, (maybe she has slimmed up and blends in with the workers), making her hard to locate.  Has anyone else noticed this?

Phillip

[Lesgold]

Interesting question Phillip. Don?t know the answer to that one. As you stated in your question, during low brood production periods would be the times to check. I often check a few hives in the middle of winter when a pollen producing wattle starts to flower but have not noticed any reduction in queen size at that time. In saying that, bees are still out and about at that time of year and there will still be about two or three frames of brood present.

[Ben Framed]

Thanks Les, just more of a curiosity question or trivia question if you will, than anything. December in my location, is a time of little brood. Temperatures can change for the 50sF for example one day, to well below freezing in hours. I try not to break into the brood area during this time of solstice short days.

August as described is another matter. That would be the time to pay special attention in my area.. These thoughts were sparked from another topic where flying mated queens were being discussed. Bought queens, filled out laying queens, and swarm queens. No doubt, bought shipped slimmed down queens can and do fly has been my experience, as well as swarm queens. I do not know about the queens in question here.. Again curiosity... Thanks for your reply.

Phillip   

[Oldbeavo]

In winter some queens slim down and will have no brood at all, very hard to find if not marked. Some times you suspect queenless.
Not sure what the difference in hives is, as some will have brood, small amount all winter.
The broodless hives kick into production come Spring.

[Acebird]

That is going to depend very heavily on location.  Up north the queens are getting busy for spring.

[Jim134]

       After listening to Tom Sealey.. Whom I believe knows more about  Swarming.... Than any other human being on Earth... For about 2 or 3 days before the swarm is issued..... The worker bees will Chase. The Queen around the hive and not let her rest at all.... So she will be able to fly...



                  BEE HAPPY  Jim134   

[Ben Framed]

       After listening to Tom Sealey.. Whom I believe knows more about  Swarming.... Than any other human being on Earth... For about 2 or 3 days before the swarm is issued..... The worker bees will Chase. The Queen around the hive and not let her rest at all.... So she will be able to fly...



                  BEE HAPPY  Jim134   

My understanding is the reason for the bees (bugging the queen), keeping her on the move, is for the purpose of depriving the queen the opportunity to lay. Therefore she will naturally slim down, which will enable her to fly. After thinking about is about the same thing. Thanks Jim..

Another subject but related, and Just my own theory; Which 'in theory', may be 'another' reason she does not fly very far when the swarm first leaves the home hive in many cases; She will land on yonder limb. Which will allow her more 'time' to slim down. Perhaps this (could) be one reason, (yet another reason), they will tarry on a limb for a x-amount of time, dependent on each individual swarm queen. (Perhaps allowing her a little more time to slim up for a longer trip). This is my theory, not Dr Sealys, At least I have never heard he or anyone else suggest such. And I have not researched, just a theory.

I do know that when mated queens are ordered from some breeders unless they are from banked stock;  some sellers will retrieve laying queens straight from a nuc which she is in the very process of laying. From my understanding, the guy in Georgia that I bought my queens from does this, added insurance you WILL get a proven laying queen.

By the time she arrives with her attendance, she has slimmed down and is very capable of flying though she has never been chased; but she has in fact, been deprived the opportunity to lay while in the queen cage during shipment.

Phillip

[beesnweeds]

I pulled a marked laying queen from a mating nuc that had been laying for about 3 or 4 weeks that was just shy of a 1/4 mile away from the queen less colony I wanted to put her in.  I placed the queen cage on the top of a frame and the workers were ready for a queen and started fanning.  When I opened the cage, she walked out on to the bars and immediately took to the sky and spiraled off up and away.  I figured that was the end of a nice queen. The next day I opened the same mating nuc up and there she was laying eggs.  She flew back to the mating nuc with no problem.  I dont know if queens slim down for swarming and any swarms Ive caught the queens look the same as any.  In my experience unless the laying queen is unhealthy, they can fly just fine.

[Jim134]

       I had Italian bees for about 45 years  A long with a few other breeds honey bees honey bees... It just seemed like to me they loved eating themselves.. Out of house and home... No matter how little or how much  Nectar was coming in.. For about the last 12 years or so...... I went with certified Russian Queen bees..  very much more sensitive to nectar flows &  pollen Availability.  The Russian queens will slim right down .. When the workers stop bringing in food...  Number one thing.. The diet of the Queen is changed..When no eggs are being laid..



          BEE HAPPY  Jim134