picked up a swarm in a pasture today

riverrat · May 18, 2010, 09:25:24 PM

i got a swarm call out in the country today a hive swarmed and landed in a hedge row. the hive was about 5 foot off the ground and the size of a large football. first thing i notice was there was a dead virgin queen laying on the ground below the swarm. when i shook them into the box i got stung 4 times 3 in the face and once in the wrist. the land owner had been out spraying thistle and had saw the swarm land on the tree earlier today. Im hoping there was 2 queens that left with the swarm which is probly not that uncommon especially if the swarm is not the primary swarm they hived up nice once i shook them into the box. i guess we will know in a few days if there was another queen in there has anyone else ran into a dead queen when hiving a swarm

riverrat · May 23, 2010, 01:39:57 PM

I checked hive after a week no eggs or sign of queen i probly should have added a frame of eggs the next day but wanted to give it time. this helps explain why this swarm was hot when i got it not sure what happened to the queen for her to be dead on the ground probly should go thru the hive and make sure there is not another injured queen in the hive

Jim134 · May 23, 2010, 01:50:55 PM

Quote from: riverrat on May 18, 2010, 09:25:24 PM
has anyone else ran into a dead queen when hiving a swarm

NO
But no queen YES

Have seen lots of primary swarm have more then 1 queen .

BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

Kathyp · May 23, 2010, 01:53:41 PM

you just never know. i picked up a hot swarm that had a beautiful queen. a frame of eggs is never a bad idea if you can spare it. the swarms i have picked up with only virgin queens have been later in the year. probably a 3rd or 4th swarm from a hive. you may have a queen. there may have been more than one virgin queen in there, or there may have been a good queen in addition to the virgin.

not to late for the eggs :-)

Paynesgrey · May 23, 2010, 08:01:27 PM

Okay...New bee question here - how do you tell just by looking at the queen on the ground, if it is a virgin queen? I've read about the evidence just after mating, but uh, is there anything different after that? Or do they swarm so quickly to leave after she mates that you can still see, yep, she mated? What about an old queen swarm (a primary one, I guess it's called?)

iddee · May 23, 2010, 09:05:10 PM

If it's the size of a worker and has no hair on the abdomen or thorax, it's a virgin queen. When they mate, they get large.

Scadsobees · May 24, 2010, 09:35:03 AM

Quote from: iddee on May 23, 2010, 09:05:10 PM
If it's the size of a worker and has no hair on the abdomen or thorax, it's a virgin queen. When they mate, they get large.

Hey! You had me going for a minute there, iddee, then I remembered we're talking about bees! :-D