I Spotted My Queen for the FIRST TIME Today!

[sarafina]

I wasn't even looking for her - just doing an inspection, and there she was in all her glory in the second deep.  It was so exciting !!!!! 

I have seen evidence of her busy highness, but this is my first time ever to see her since I hived her back on April 5th.

I have brood in my second deep and about 6 of the frames are drawn out, so I added a super on top.  A shallow with starter strips.  If they fill that up and lay some brood there I have 2 more shallows I can add and then I am out of equipment.  They are going like gangbusters now.


On another note....... I think I have HOUDINI bees...........   :shock:

I got stung on the underside of my arm and then noticed I had 2 inside my jacket with the attached veil.  I quickly left the hive area and stripped it off.  I guess the bee that stung me was already inside.  Then I couldn't get the dang veil zipped back on.... grrr......  My hive was broken apart so I had to get back out there......  So I pulled a regular veil on and tucked my jacket neck into it......

Pretty soon there were two more bees inside my veil.... ACK!!!!  Did the run and strip jig again......  They chased me all the way to the front of the house but I didn't get stung.  Still couldn't get my veil zipped back onto my jacket and then broke off some plastic zipper teeth...... more grrr..........  So I grabbed my marroon lined windbreaker and veil - at least this neck was high enough to tuck well inside my veil.

I was setting my super back on and the top covers and saw 2 more girls buzzing inside my veil again !!!  Houdini bees!  I got the veil off before I got stung but it sure made for an interesting inspection.


I am happy to report that each successive stung has produced a smaller reaction.  My first sting welped up to an area about 4 inches wide and itched like crazy for over a week.  My next one swelled up to about an inch.  The last one on my leg was about a 1/2" and this on under my arm is a red dot with some redness but not near the itching.  I love this hobby amd was hoping I wasn't one who got more allergic with each sting.   :)

[doak]

Some time the queen is easier to see when not looking for her.
Congrats.
doak

[JP]

Sara, with my jacket and veil set up right where the zippers meet, there is a small velcro strap. You need to make sure its velcroed over the zipper, right at the throat and under the chin, there are two spots. If the flap is not secured over where the pull dealy's come together, there's a small hole there where the bees get in.

Does any of this make sense to you?


...JP

[sarafina]

Sara, with my jacket and veil set up right where the zippers meet, there is a small velcro strap. You need to make sure its velcroed over the zipper, right at the throat and under the chin, there are two spots. If the flap is not secured over where the pull dealy's come together, there's a small hole there where the bees get in.

Does any of this make sense to you?


...JP

Yes - I thought i had checked it, but obviously I didn't and that is probably where they got in.


I still can't get over seeing my queen today - she was so beautiful and graceful!
Sneaky little girls, aren't they ?   :-D

[JP]

I have seen quite a few queens now, like a ton, I have no idea how many, but each and every time I see one I get some tinge of excitement. I just plain like seeing them, particularly mated queens. They are typically very graceful in their movements, and when they pipe, woe!!! That's a real bonus, love watching piping queens, a real marvel of nature imo.

Keep that flap down on both sides of the zipper, very important, they sure can be slippery sometimes.

Glad you found your queen. ;)


...JP

[Scadsobees]

I do understand the term "You got a bee in your bonnet??"...  sure is hard quelling the instinct to rip off the veil screaming knowing that she is gunning for your ear....  my 9 yo boy did pretty much that, standing right over the open hive that the bee was from!

Rick

[KONASDAD]

I agree w/ JP on this one. No matter how many queens you see, its exciting. Although you can confirm her presence w/o seeing her, to see her is triumphant validation. Good Job.