# Found queen outside the hive!!!!



## honeybeekeeper (Mar 3, 2010)

I just have a quick question that i have been wondering! The other day i transfered a 5 frame nuc into a 10 frame box and then shock in some bees from another hive to give it a boost! I then put the 10 frame hive next to the other 10 frame hives. Later on (3 hrs)i went out to check on the bees and i seen acouple bees flying around where the 5 frame nuc was sitting and one of the bees had a white dot (the queen), i was like ooooh heck plus i never seen this before and it just confused me!! I caught the queen and put her back in the 10 frame hive but i was wondering why she was out of the hive???? Was the transfer from the 5 frame to the 10 frame too much activity for the queen and she left the hive or was she using the ladies room??? Im just trying to find out why the queen would be flying around outside the hive! If your experienced i would like to hear from you! Thanks

Always learning something new everyday!


----------



## justinh83 (Aug 2, 2010)

Definitely not a bathroom break. Supposedly the attendents take care of ANYTHING that the queen needs.

I have not had that issue. I'm wondering if the bees from another hive had anything to do with this. What process did you use for getting the bees from the second hive? Could that possibly be the queen from the other hive?


----------



## honeybeekeeper (Mar 3, 2010)

I have shook bees in weak hives plenty of times and yes she is suppose to be in that particular hive! I know the date and time that she went in as well! This is the second time i gave this hive a boost, if i see anything less from this hive there wont be a third boost...I'll get a new queen!


----------



## justinh83 (Aug 2, 2010)

Okay! Sounds like you have got it under control! Good luck!


----------



## honeybeekeeper (Mar 3, 2010)

How many times does a queen go out of the hive per day "approx"?????


----------



## jrbbees (Apr 4, 2010)

She goes out for her mating flight. She goes out when she swarms.
They drag her out when she is dead. More than that, never.


----------



## honeybeekeeper (Mar 3, 2010)

Well this queen was received at the beginning of april, she was released april 8th! I was doing a trap out on a tree for a rock company. I captured 2 frames worth of bees in a 5 frame box and during the rough storms the tree fell down and the bees left the tree....So i was left with only 2 frames worth of bees and so this queen was purchased! I was wondering why i had to put her back in the hive! Im thinking about ordering a new queen! To me she shouldnt of been outside! This is why im stumped!


----------



## fish_stix (May 17, 2009)

If she's still back in the hive now don't worry about it. This was a fluke of some sort, not a normal occurrence. You'll be stumped often, working with bees, get used to it.


----------



## brushmouth (Jan 17, 2010)

She may have been concerned for her own safety?
Very risky method to combine bees in that manner. 
The added bees may have made an attack on her? (just a guess)
Possible you are not out of the woods yet with her, check for fresh eggs in
about 4 days so you will know that she is in fact OK. If you wait those few days, you will know even if you don't find her physically. (if you are familiar with the appearance of fresh laid eggs)
Use the newspaper method to combine (best) or less reliable odor masking methods (IMO) 
Good luck 

BM


----------



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>How many times does a queen go out of the hive per day "approx"????? 

In theory none. I have rarely seen a marked laying queen on the outside of the box (a couple of times in 37 years). Once I found a marked laying queen in the hive next door to where she lived being balled. But only once in 37 years...


----------



## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

It is quite possible she fell off a frame as you were transferring to the 10 frame box... perhaps?


----------

