Escaped queen whil releasing

Started by rdrcl, April 27, 2010, 10:10:17 PM

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rdrcl

April 27, 2010, 10:10:17 PM
  Well I hived my package last weekend but was in a hurry when I went to release the Queen 3 days later ( I decided to just pull the cork instead on using marshmellows). When I pulled the cork she flew straight up, I left the lid off for a few minutes hoping she would go home. I have not had a chance to do a full inspection but they seem calm enough when I pop the lid for a quick look, No queen wouldn't they be more aggressive? Any chance she went back to the hive or should I try to find a queen or at least get ready to do a combine?

Hope this makes sense

JP

#1
April 27, 2010, 11:14:55 PM
She most likely went right back into the hive. Do a check to confirm.


...JP
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asprince

#2
April 27, 2010, 11:23:30 PM
I feel your pain. It is a sick feeling to see your $20.00 queen fly away and maybe not return. Happened to me twice. They never returned.

Steve
Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resembalance to the first. - Ronald Reagan

hardwood

#3
April 27, 2010, 11:51:25 PM
3 days is can certainly be enough time for the bees to acclimate to the queen. I'm pretty sure she returned to the hive. If not, you'd most likely see some, if not all follow her.

Scott
"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Michael Bush

#4
April 28, 2010, 12:57:18 AM
If one flies, you should leave the hive open and stand there for ten minutes or until you see her return.  If you do, there is a fair chance she will return.

One way to avoid this is keep the end of the cage pointed down to the cluster and close to the cluster so it's not convenient for her go straight up.  Also, you can dunk the cage quickly in water and then release her so she is wet and can't fly so well.
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rdrcl

#5
April 29, 2010, 11:36:35 AM
She is home I did a quick check this morning and I see capped brood.  Got lucky this time thanks for all the great advice on keeping this from happening next time.

RayMarler

#6
May 03, 2010, 07:44:31 AM
Perhaps there was a second queen in the package, maybe that's why she flew away? Because the second queen was laying ready and accepted? Possibility? I've heard of two queens being shipped in a package accidentally before. Doesn't matter at this point, as you now have a laying queen in your new package. Enjoy!
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