Dying queen on landing board

[Torq]

Morning all!

One of my colonies had a laying queen and a big dark capped supercedure cell 6 days ago. This morning I see about a dozen bees on the landing board in a bit of a huddle. So I have a closer look and there is a queen on her side legs folded in but with antennae twitching.

I always assumed that a supercedure went on in parallel with both queens living together until both are laying and the old queen gets killed. Looks like I was wrong. Unfortunately old queen is not marked or clipped so I've no idea which I found this morning.

 

[Torq]

I think I've worked it out.

She's the old queen. I took her and a few bees away in a cage and after she died I opened it. A couple of the bees are hanging around the cage scenting with their nasenov glands which makes me think that they are sensing queen pheromone from her and responding accordingly.

Pheromone = mated queen. Correct

 

[Torq]

Going great here this morning, answering my own thread!

The queen is missing the last segment on one of her rear legs. This may or may not be the reason for the supercedure or it could have occurred while being removed from the hive.



Oh yea, There was also a pupa on the landing board but a wasp flew off with it before I got a chance to have a look!

 

[beeno]

Hi Torq,
Very interesting and yes you are doing well answering your own questions!
Could this be when the queen gets killed in an imperfect supercedure? Any offers out there?

 

[Jimy Dee]

keep it up Torq. Interesting one, I haven't a clue.

 

[REDWOOD]

Sometimes it's easier to write it down and then things can come clear as a bell

 

[Hivemaker.]

Pheromone = mated queen. Correct

And virgin queens, but less.

Are there still eggs in there now? if so check again in a few days.

You could also inspect the spermatheca of the queen you found.

 

[Fatbee]

How do you do the dissection Hivemaker and what are you looking for? Eggs? But what does bee sperm look like to see if she's mated?!

 

[Hivemaker.]

How do you do the dissection Hivemaker

...https://www.extension.org/pages/283...-the-honey-bee-queen-spermatheca#.U-kog2OwUYc

http://www.glenn-apiaries.com/sperm.html

 

[Fatbee]

Thanks - that's new for me to see. Seems remarkably simple but I imagine quite fiddly and not for doing onsite

 

[Torq]

Wow, it's that easy! Will have a good look at her tomorrow, using the trusty magnifying glass I've had for over 30 years and maybe give the Lidl usb microscope a day out of the box.

 

[Torq]

Dissection done. It was really easy! And the result is that she was a properly mated queen which leads me to believe that most likely the loss of a leg was the cause of the supercedure. Unless she lost the leg being killed or removed. Anyway it's case closed.

 

[Fatbee]

I love how this thread had developed - backyard biology integrated with beekeeping. Applied science in practice!

You could be right about the leg - do you think it's possible that you did it during an inspection?

Of course, just because she's mated doesn't mean that the bees hadn't picked up another ailing part of her.

Thanks for sharing.