How to quickly find a queen in a bee family: how to find out if she is in the hive, signs of absence and secrets

Cases when you need to somehow quickly find a queen in a large bee family - this is not uncommon. Such a need arises when changing the queen, transplanting into layering or determining the chapter for marking. This will have to be done quickly and carefully so as not to disrupt the work of the bee colony. There are several ways to perform high-speed search results. Some of them require outside help.

How to find out if there is a queen in the hive without opening the hive

The need to determine the queen arises if the queen liquor is gnawed. This indicates that the he alth of the hive is broken, and therefore requires immediate action.

To determine if there is a uterus inside, it is better to look for signs of absence:

• family loses interest in collecting pollen;
• bees behave restlessly, buzzing when approaching the hive, moving randomly from edge to edge.

Most likely, the uterus died during the flight, was eaten by birds or died of old age.

Quick search for the queen in the hive

The queen bee is the foundation of every hive. Bees fly around her. When the queen breeds, all members of the family are interested in collecting pollen. It looks like a well-oiled production process.

The uterus differs from relatives in appearance:

• the size of the calf reaches 2 centimeters, and the length of a large working individual is 1.5-1.7 centimeters;
• body elongated;
• abdomen looks rounded, extends beyond the edges of the wings.

The first rule for determining the mistress inside the hive house is the presence of brood.

Replacement cases require the immediate identification and removal of the queen. Then the owner is required to be observant and quick to react. The best time to detect an unmarked individual is a sunny and calm day.

The search is complicated by the fact that in the summer there are 50 thousand bees inside the colony, while they all move at the same time. The queen moves faster than the workers, so it is difficult to notice her.

1. The first way. Start of work - 12 noon - then a lot of bees go to fly out of the hive. To search, an inspection of the frames is carried out, sequentially moving from one to another.Checked frames are removed to the other side of the nest, but at the same time they make sure that the bees do not return to them again. This method is suitable for hives with 18-20 frames, but no more. When searching, you will have to focus on your own observation. You can distinguish the uterus by external signs. In addition, the swarm around the queen behaves differently - the bees give way to her, surround her and, as it were, accompany her.
2. The second way. To do this, you need a special metal mesh with longitudinal holes of 4.5 mm. This frame is placed in the middle of the nest in order to overtake the bees through it. The workers will cross over to the other side, while the queen and drones will remain. Such metal nets are purchased in specialized beekeeping stores.
3. Third way. In the evening, before sunset, a white cloth is spread in a clearing near the beehive. The bees are shaken from the frames to the surface. Some bees will fly away, while others will move on the surface. The bees always go in the same direction as the queen.If you observe the movements for 5-6 minutes, then you can find the main individual by external signs.

It is difficult for a novice beekeeper to determine if the removal was carried out correctly. An indirect sign by which the correctness of actions can be determined is the behavior of the family after the removal. The bees are restless, there is a feeling that the insects feel orphaned.

How to catch her?

Identifying the queen is not enough - you need to have time to remove it from the swarm before it flies away. The most convenient way is to cover with a small cap. This option does not require special skill. The secret of success lies in observation and quick reaction.

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