Author Topic: small queen? (Read 2410 times)

buzzbee · « **on:** July 19, 2006, 06:41:40 pm »

I have a swarm I caught 6/29. It has drawn a lot of comb and has a lot of capped brood. I was looking for the queen yesterday thinking a marked queen may have swarmed from my sons hive. I couldn't find any thing that looked like a queen but what I did see looked like a worker sized bee with yellow on the thorax where my queens are marked. Could this have been pollen or a marked queen from another year?None of the other bees had this but she seemed small compared to my italian queens. Thanks everyone

Apis629 · « **Reply #1 on:** July 19, 2006, 08:31:53 pm »

Yay! You caught a swarm on my b-day!!!

Now, back to being relevent. Chances are that that is pollen. I think this year's color is blue. If you are seeing eggs then the queen would have to be of normal size.

buzzbee · « **Reply #2 on:** July 19, 2006, 10:52:46 pm »

Apis,
My birthday also. This years color is white I believe. The only place there was yellow was on the back where my other Queens are marked. I will check through the frames again this weekend. Happy Birthday! belated

Apis629 · « **Reply #3 on:** July 19, 2006, 11:21:05 pm »

Who'd you order your queens from? I got a queen marked white last year.

bassman1977 · « **Reply #4 on:** July 20, 2006, 12:35:15 am »

Years ending in 1 or 6 are white, 2 or 7 are yellow, 3 or 8 are red, 4 or 9 are green, and 5 or 0 are blue.

I had one marked yellow this year. Must have run out of ink.

Brian D. Bray · « **Reply #5 on:** July 20, 2006, 01:27:31 am »

Either that or the queen supplier was confused on the proper color for the hear.

The yellow on the thorax is not uncommon on a worker bee who is collecting nector and get covered with pollen in the process. That's part of what the birds and the bees are all about.

Michael Bush · « **Reply #6 on:** July 22, 2006, 11:18:46 pm »

I had one marked yellow this spring. But she was that old. :)

latebee · « **Reply #7 on:** July 22, 2006, 11:41:01 pm »

I have captured small swarms that have had very small queens-wait about ten days and you willl be surprized-they almost double in size. I can only guess that perhaps they are afterswarms maybe leaving with an unmated queen?I have noticed this twice so far,in the past three years.