Confused hive, or maybe confused Beekeeper.

van from Arkansas · May 26, 2019, 06:51:38 PM

I inspected a hive I requeened 4 weeks ago. The second frame I pulled had a capped swarm cell, the third frame has open swarm cells, the fourth frame has a swarm cell with the cap open as a new queen hatched. The fourth frame has swarm cells being torn down. Then I find a queen that is being balled.

So I captured the balled queen with intent of creating a new nuc. Then I figured the bees know best. So I released the queen into the same hive and closed up the hive. A lot going on with this hive.

I found no eggs or young larva. I plan to inspect in a couple of weeks after things settle down. Needless to say I was a bit confused: balled queen, open swarm cells, capped swarm cells, swarm cells being torn down, hatched swarm cell, yep, I was a bit confused. Lots of bees, if this hive swarmed, it was a tiny swarm and hive is still full of honey.

I define a swarm cell as a queen cell on the bottom of the frame, not in the middle.

BeeMaster2 · May 26, 2019, 07:43:29 PM

Van,
I have had 2 frame observation hives swarm in the spring, one that only had a silver dollar size of bees the previous Christmas.
They may and probably were just superseding the queen. You may find mother daughter laying side by side.
The queen you saw may be one of the ones that the bees decided that they do not want. They may also bee protecting it from another queen that they do not want. I have seen my bees protect my queen from newly added bees in my observation hive.
Jim Altmiller

van from Arkansas · May 26, 2019, 08:31:37 PM

Jim, yes Sir, interesting... I have also seen the bees protect and shelter a queen in a robbing event. The bees moved the queen to the opposite side of the hive, to an empty frame that was away from the honey and subsequent robbers.

Honey Bees cease to amaze me.

jtcmedic · May 26, 2019, 11:21:37 PM

Van I just requeened a hive and waited 22 day and took a peek to find a marked queen and a daughter right next to Each other marked still laying and saw she had a damaged leg so I figured they were gonna supersede her in a little bit. Was a little mad but what can I do. Good lucky

Ben Framed · May 27, 2019, 12:53:54 AM

Quote from: sawdstmakr on May 26, 2019, 07:43:29 PM
Van,
I have had 2 frame observation hives swarm in the spring, one that only had a silver dollar size of bees the previous Christmas.
They may and probably were just superseding the queen. You may find mother daughter laying side by side.
The queen you saw may be one of the ones that the bees decided that they do not want. They may also bee protecting it from another queen that they do not want. I have seen my bees protect my queen from newly added bees in my observation hive.
Jim Altmiller

Jim, I continue to see from your post, the observation hive defiantly has advantages as per learning!! Defiantly on my to do list when time slot hits just right! May be as late as the late fall but its coming!! Thank you for sharing.
Phillip

BeeMaster2 · May 27, 2019, 03:23:40 AM

Here is the link to the directions that I used to build my observation hive. It is a really good one.

https://beemaster.com/forum/index.php?topic=30161.0

There is a post saying the pictures were missing. I checked and I only found that the first picture is missing.

Jim Altmiller

BeeMaster2 · May 27, 2019, 03:40:57 AM

Here are 2 pictures of my observation hive, one from each side. I think the ones missing are just final pictures.

[attachment=0][/attachment]

[attachment=1][/attachment]

Jim Altmiller

Acebird · May 27, 2019, 09:24:20 AM

Quote from: van from Arkansas on May 26, 2019, 06:51:38 PM
Lots of bees, if this hive swarmed, it was a tiny swarm and hive is still full of honey.

Van they don't take the honey they take the nectar which is why they usually don't swarm in a dearth. After the swarm they will consume the honey rebuilding the population.

van from Arkansas · May 27, 2019, 06:21:30 PM

Quote from: sawdstmakr on May 27, 2019, 03:40:57 AM
Here are 2 pictures of my observation hive, one from each side. I think the ones missing are just final pictures.

[attachment=0][/attachment]

[attachment=1][/attachment]

Jim Altmiller

Jim: that hive looks like a piece of fine furniture.

What is this,,,,, a Mercedes observation hive??? Made of Walnut no less with hand turned columns? Do you plug it in, or is there an antenna? Just joking, seriously that is fine work. I see where you live up to the name SAWDUST.
Blessings

Ben Framed · May 27, 2019, 06:23:56 PM

Quote from: van from Arkansas on May 27, 2019, 06:21:30 PM
Quote from: sawdstmakr on May 27, 2019, 03:40:57 AM
Here are 2 pictures of my observation hive, one from each side. I think the ones missing are just final pictures.

[attachment=0][/attachment]

[attachment=1][/attachment]

Jim Altmiller

I second that Mr Ban. Great work Jim!

Jim: that hive looks like a piece of fine furniture.

What is this,,,,, a Mercedes observation hive??? Made of Walnut no less with hand turned columns? Do you plug it in, or is there an antenna? Just joking, seriously that is fine work. I see where you live up to the name SAWDUST.
Blessings

I second Mr Van

LizzieBee · May 27, 2019, 07:03:05 PM

That observation hive is absolutely amazing. I want one now!

-Lizzie

BeeMaster2 · May 27, 2019, 11:18:46 PM

Thanks Van, Ben and Lizzie. That is how I was able to convince my wife to be able to put it in the house.
Jim Altmiller

Nock · May 27, 2019, 11:24:50 PM

That is very nice work Jim.

BeeMaster2 · May 27, 2019, 11:31:46 PM

Thanks Nock.

CoolBees · May 28, 2019, 12:15:53 PM

+1 to all the above - that is beautiful Jim!

And what Lizzie said - now I want one.

BeeMaster2 · May 28, 2019, 02:23:13 PM

Thanks Coolbees.
Jim Altmiller

Acebird · May 29, 2019, 08:07:56 AM

Quote from: sawdstmakr on May 27, 2019, 11:18:46 PM
That is how I was able to convince my wife to be able to put it in the house.
Jim Altmiller

No doubt about it.