After my mentor, Linnea, left I examined the cell that we cut out that looked as if the queen died inside. I kept the cell because I thought it would be a wonderful show-and-tell for my students. As I poked and prodded at the dark end of the cell, I noticed movement from within the cell!! I immediately stopped poking at it! I could not believe what I was seeing….now what was I going to do with a very much alive queen bee?
First, I googled “How to keep a queen bee alive inside your kitchen?” or something to that effect. Of course, I got a variety of links! I read that one could keep a queen alive, inside, for approximately 3 days by providing water, warmth, and a little food. I quickly called Linnea, again. She suggested that I place the queen cell in a warm place with a nurse bee or two. I placed the cell in a mason jar along with a wet Q-tip, a piece of sugar candy, and a nurse bee who coincidently had come into the house on my clothes. My husband cut a piece of screening to fit the canning jar lid so that I could provide some ventilation. That done, I jumped in the shower. After only a few minutes, my husband poked his head in the bathroom and said, “The queen has emerged! Now we have a queen bee in the kitchen! What next?!” She was beautiful, long, slender and tan in color. She chased the poor little nurse bee around and around the inside of the mason jar. I covered the jar with a towel and placed the jar in a dark place, and then I went to bed.
When I woke the next morning, I was relieved to see that both the queen and the nurse bee survived the night. I had to go to work so I replaced the dry Q-tip with a wet one and tucked the ladies under a blanket for warmth. When I came home later that day, both were alive and well. I googled anything and everything related to queen bees, rearing queen bees, queen bees emerging outside of hive, etc. I found a bee forum in which there was a discussion thread that was the best match. Someone recommended letting the queen bee simply walk right into the hive. So…..dressed appropriately, I took the queen to the hive and attempted to release her on the landing board. She did not want to leave the jar, then she did not want to get off my hand. Eventually, I was able to place both the queen and the nurse bee on the landing board. Bees immediately surrounded the queen. I was thrilled! But then…..the bees began pushing and shoving her (yes, pushing her and shoving her is exactly what it looked like) away from the entrance of the hive and onto the side of the hive. Bees continued to walk on top of her but it did not look friendly at all. I was afraid that they would kill her right in front of me so I scooped her back up and took her inside. I called Linnea who explained that it was very possible that they were not going to accept her but suggested that I take of the hive cover and place her in the opening of the inner cover. Out to the hive, again.
I took off the hive cover and tried to coax her out of the jar and into the opening in the inner cover. She did not want to leave the comfort of the mason jar, nor did she want to leave the comfort of my arm. I was so worried that I might accidently kill her trying to place her inside the hive. Eventually, I was successful and watched her, with mixed emotions, disappear into the mass of nurse bees who seemed to surround her immediately. She was a lovely queen and I hope that she was treated kindly.
Sunday, Linnea and I will combine the first swarm with the original colony, look for the queen, and treat for mites. After several more days, we will examine the hive containing the latest swarm, check for a queen or the presence of a queen. I suppose at that time I will have to decide which queen shall reign “Queen Bee” as we combine the latest swarm with the original colony. And then……I will hope for the best. I hope to post some of the video of our latest swarm capture, soon.
Many thanks for wading through my beekeeping adventures.
beemusement 