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Author Topic: VIDEO: An Old Timer's Way of seeing if your Hive is Queenless  (Read 6150 times)

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Offline DonMcJr

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VIDEO: An Old Timer's Way of seeing if your Hive is Queenless
« on: May 26, 2014, 04:44:52 pm »
Talked to a fellow Beekeeper today and he told me about a Man named "Herb" who is a Michigan Beekeeper in our area that is 80 years old and has been beekeeping since he was 5 year old. Herb told him what's below about a hive being Queenless or not. I have a Swarm I was wondering if I caught the queen or not and I also have a Hive that is Queenless and making a Queen right now. Below what Herb said is a video I just took.

Pretty Interesting....tell me what you think!

"Herb on a Queenless Hive"

If the Hive is Queenless the Bees will leave the Hive with their Wing's open like a “K” and walk around before they fly off. If there's a Queen they walk out with wings closed and fly off quick.
Note: I saw this actually happen on a Hive I had that was making a Queen. Hive #6 of 2014.

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Offline Zweefer

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Re: VIDEO: An Old Timer's Way of seeing if your Hive is Queenless
« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2014, 10:02:17 pm »
this is extremely interesting to me.  I can't wait to see what some of the more experienced of us has to say on this!
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Offline CpnObvious

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Re: VIDEO: An Old Timer's Way of seeing if your Hive is Queenless
« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2014, 10:33:21 pm »
I'll be monitoring this thread, and my new hives, as well.  Old-timers tend to have "it" down.  Let's see if that stands true!
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Offline DonMcJr

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Re: VIDEO: An Old Timer's Way of seeing if your Hive is Queenless
« Reply #3 on: May 27, 2014, 09:35:38 pm »
Don't think anyone saw this yet...shoulda put it in General Beekeeping...
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Offline iddee

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Re: VIDEO: An Old Timer's Way of seeing if your Hive is Queenless
« Reply #4 on: May 27, 2014, 09:42:48 pm »
It has 57 views. Just good info, but few replies until we have a chance to test it.
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: VIDEO: An Old Timer's Way of seeing if your Hive is Queenless
« Reply #5 on: May 29, 2014, 10:26:53 pm »
Yep.. have a couple making queens.. if they havent emerged yet I will check and see if they do this.
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Offline Bakersdozen

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Re: VIDEO: An Old Timer's Way of seeing if your Hive is Queenless
« Reply #6 on: June 01, 2014, 10:06:03 am »
Thanks for posting Don!  I have observed some of this behavior before.  A queenless hive acts like they don't have a "mission".  While a queen right hive comes and goes efficiently like time is precious.  The only time I ever observed a K wing pattern was a hive I suspected of getting into some type of insect spray.  I didn't lose the whole colony, but I had a lot of disoriented bees dying at the entrance on the ground.  They were displaying the K wing formation and spinning on the the ground.
I would be interested in hearing if anyone has noticed the general mood of a queenless hive being different.  I don't want to hijack the thread, just interested in comments.
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Offline DonMcJr

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Re: VIDEO: An Old Timer's Way of seeing if your Hive is Queenless
« Reply #7 on: June 01, 2014, 04:48:20 pm »
Well my "queenless" hive should have a virgin queen making mating flights and they stopped the "k" activity and drew out almost all the deep frames...
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Offline Bamabww

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Re: VIDEO: An Old Timer's Way of seeing if your Hive is Queenless
« Reply #8 on: June 01, 2014, 08:01:56 pm »
Interesting. Thanks for the info and the video. These old timers have been a lot of help to me.
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Offline tefer2

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Re: VIDEO: An Old Timer's Way of seeing if your Hive is Queenless
« Reply #9 on: June 02, 2014, 10:08:07 am »
Your queenless hive in the video is proof that this is just hearsay.
Flying out of there on a mission by the looks of it.
Only girls walking around are the guard bees
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Offline DonMcJr

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Re: VIDEO: An Old Timer's Way of seeing if your Hive is Queenless
« Reply #10 on: June 05, 2014, 06:16:48 am »
Twofer if you watch closely the so called guard bees actually walk around a bit with wings open then fly off...I dont believe guard bees fly off to forage...
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Offline tefer2

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Re: VIDEO: An Old Timer's Way of seeing if your Hive is Queenless
« Reply #11 on: June 05, 2014, 07:29:53 am »
Don, kinda hard to see the detail watching on my phone. After watching on a larger screen they do have k-wings it seems. Only time I have seen k-wings is with heavy mite loads.
The real test will be if they stop doing it after they have a queen or die from mites!
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