# Queen flew away...help



## thorsgurl75

I hived my new bees and opened the queen cage and out she flew.What now ? Do I need to keep the workers blocked in or will they stay till my new queen arrives?


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## 6e

Did you open the little queen cage? I believe you're supposed to let the workers in the hive eat the candy and let her out. That way, by the time they get her out she's accepted as the queen.

I have limited knowledge of bees, but yes, the workers should stay until your new queen arrives. But they may try to supersede and make a new queen themselves. You'll have to watch for queen cells and break them off. Then when your new queen comes, don't open the little box. Just wedge it between frames and the bees in the hive will eat the candy and let her out. And then from what my teacher has been telling me, you don't check the hive for about 2 weeks afterward. Just leave them alone. After 2 weeks then you can check for her or check for brood pattern. 

Good luck!!


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## alleyyooper

The workers should stay just keep syrup on them. when the new queen arrives if she is in a Benton 3 hole cage remove the cork only and put in the hive. I use the tiny finish nails to hang it between foundation frames.










If she arrives in a JZBZ cage make sure that there isn't a cork in the end then place it between the frames as best you can of lay it on the bottom board.










4 Days after you installed the new queen she should be out of the cage. After that leave them alone for about 2 weeks then start looking for eggs and brood.



















Or the queen her self.




























 Al


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## Ernie

Great photos! One of the most educational photo sets I've seen in a long time.

A quick question regarding queen cells, if I may ...

How often are you pulling frames to look for them and is there a specific time of year in which you're doing so more frequently? I occasionally see the little peanut cells on frames but usually only when I'm going through a hive at the end of the year. If I see them earlier than that, is it possible to take that frame out (with a couple of others) and use it to propagate a new hive?


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## Terri

That happenedto me once! I was horrified!

Fortunately bees are social creatures, and so she EVENTUALLY followed the scent of the hive home.

I will give you the advice that was given to me: In 3 days time open the hive and look for eggs and/or a queen. If she has returned home there WILL be eggs.

My queen, thank heavens, followed the scent of her family home.


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## O2BAQUEEN

What great photos! I'll have to show them later to hubby, he just can't seem to find the queen when I spot her and point her out..


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## no1cowboy

>>>How often are you pulling frames to look for them and is there a specific time of year in which you're doing so more frequently?<<<

In the spring, every 2 weeks you should check on them. and yes if you find "swarm" queen cells you can pull the frames and use them to start nucs with.


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## Michael Bush

Queens flying are an issue. I suppose there are few things you could have done to prevent it, the biggest being you always have the hole pointed down to the cluster of bees and minimize the distance as you pull the cork. Another is to dunk the cage in water quickly and then pull the cork. She will be wet and it's difficult to fly that way. But what you should do if she does fly, is leave the hive open and stand right where you are for the next 10 minutes or until you see her return. She will orient on you (you are the tall white thing) and the bees will fan to help her orient. If it's a new package this is good enough. If it's an established hive I like to shake a frame of bees back into the hive which sets off Nasonoving to guide her back.

Now that you didn't do all of that, closing them up will simply keep the queen out. Not what you want is it?


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## alleyyooper

Myth busted #1.
The workers will all be faceing the queen so look for that circle to find the queen. 
NOT SO, in the picture with the finger in the canvas glove note the workers do not have the queen in a circle of them faceing here.

Myth busted #2.
The queen will never go across honey.
NOT SO Picture Number 3 of the queens is on honey cells although they are not capped. Also picture number 4 the queen is on honey capped honey.

I start looking for queen cells in the spring as soon as I see capped drone cells. I have made up many a hive with capped queen cells for certin hives. I don't just willy nilly do it with any queen cells as we are looking for certin traites.

We want *hardy Michigan winter surviver stock first and formost*. so queens cells in a new package of bees holds no intrest other than to get rid of them if we can. If we know some one looking for bees we will some times give or sell them A nuc from them.

Bees that build up fast in the spring to the point of over flowing the hive any time the cover is off. That equals nucs to sell and honey production.

Hygienic behaviors has to be good. I place a bit of waxed paper on the top bars and see how long it takes them to remove it. three days is about max.

Thanks on the photo comments. Kare takes 99% of them and I use them when giving talks at club meetings, and to naturlest at wild life centers and the like.

 Al


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## thorsgurl75

I thought i saw candy..so i pulled the cork thinking they would eat threw candy but surprise no candy..then no queen. So next day drove 6 hours (again) to get a new queen and put her in.In the cage, gonna give her a few days then pull the cork and stuff a marshmallow in there and let them be.Did not see eggs when i put her in will check again to make sure i don't have a queen before i release the new queen.


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## Michael Bush

There is about a 50/50 chance the queen returned. If you left it open ten minuts I'd up it to 75%. If you left it open and didn't move, more like 90%...


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## John Carter

intresting tips for sure.
Thanks:angel:


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## damoc

if you ever get a queen fly keep the cage in the hive as the pheramones
on the cage will help to keep the bees in the hive.

also its best to let them eat the queen out of the candy if you have it in the end of the cage.

having the queen confined for an extra day or 2 to let the package settle down is a very good thing.


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