# Which Queen Leaves with a swarm?



## ghulst (Apr 4, 2008)

When a hive swarms does the old queen leave or a young queen leave with the swarm??
Thanks
Gary


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## Beaches' Bee-Haven Apiary (May 22, 2007)

The original (old) queen. Usually the swarm leaves shortly after the virgin queen cell(s) is(are) capped. The surviving virgin will leave for her orientationa and mating flight a few days after the swarm has left. Sometimes afterswarms take off with virgin queens, and then she never mates and you're left with a bum colony.

-Nathanael


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## Swobee (May 18, 2007)

That's what I was always told and read. Now, about those few hives who seem to want to swarm more than once, I assume the same holds true?


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## riverrat (Jun 3, 2006)

If the old queen is unable to fly the primary swarm will issue with a virgin queen. or so I am told


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## Gene Weitzel (Dec 6, 2005)

Sometimes virgins will leave with the primary swarm. I collected a swarm one time that had 5 queens, 4 of them virgins. I have also recently collected two swarms from very near the ground, in both cases the queen had a damaged wing an could only gain a few feet of altitude. Both swarms are doing well and the "crippled" queens are laying like crazy.


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## scottsbees (Dec 19, 2007)

how can you tell a queen is a virgin, thanks to any answers


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## fatscher (Apr 18, 2008)

A queen is a virgin when she lays only drone eggs. You won't know she hasn't been mated until you find capped drone brood in the center of frames.


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## Bozoshoes (May 28, 2008)

*How to tell a virgin queen>*

She's the ugly one!!


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## Hambone (Mar 17, 2008)

Bozoshoes said:


> She's the ugly one!!


LOL!!!


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Virgin queens are small, flighty, nervous and seem to lack the shine of a laying queen.


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