BBKA Forum

British Beekeepers Association Official Forum 

  • Putting a queen in my car.

  • share the funny, scary & the completely stupid things you've seen & heard
share the funny, scary & the completely stupid things you've seen & heard
 #3424  by AdamD
 07 Jun 2019, 11:11
I did this a few years ago.
A colony swarmed with a clipped queen. I found her near the hive and put her in a cage in the back of my (estate) car for safe-keeping whilst I looked over the colony. The car was say, 7 or 8 metres from the hive. By the time I had checked the colony over and decided what to do with it, the swarming bees had found their queen! An interesting sight - but no harm done. :lol:
It's one of those mistakes I have yet to make a second time!
 #3427  by Patrick
 07 Jun 2019, 12:40
Hilarious - you don't happen to have any pictures Adam? :D :D

There must be scope for a practical joke based on swarms and queens, probably better not go there.

On a more sobering note, I once put a queen in a butler cage (sans workers)in my car. It was a sunny day and I think she simply overheated or dehydrated, either way she was dead a couple of hours later. Definitely not one of my cleverer moments. :roll:
 #3428  by Chrisbarlow
 07 Jun 2019, 13:34
I once took 2 colonies of bees to the Heather. I put them in the car the night before and sealed the entrance up with gaffer tape. The following morning the gaffer tape had peeled off due to the condensation and wow what a lot of bees in that car! I drove to the Heather site suited up and sorted it out there. Not my finest moment. I can laugh about it now :D