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General Q&A, Bee chat and only Bee chat please
 #11173  by Steve 1972
 13 Jun 2021, 21:23
In a previous post i have a virgin in a brood box on a shed roof..the virgin Queen come from a big colony where i missed two other Queen cells..one of the other two Queen cells has emerged but the lovely looking virgin has one wing shorter than the other so she will definitely not make it to a mating flight...when i think back i should have dispatched her to give the newly emerging Queen cell covered with nurse bees the best chance..the short winged Virgin Queen was quick on the comb and the bees where not interested in her...my thoughts... will the bees turf her out or will the bees try to swarm again and she will be lost on the ground leaving the other Queen cell to emerge without a fight..
Has anyone had such a problem before..
 #11178  by JoJo36
 14 Jun 2021, 11:24
I've never had a short winged queen before but I probably wouldn't have even noticed if I had!! :)
For this colony I think I would just move it, close up for a night or two somewhere cool and then unblock entrance in new position.
If she cant fly then I would squash her and allow the other cell to emerge??!!
Back up plan if that didn't work maybe put another frame of brood with eggs to allow another chance for them to create a queen??!! I wouldn't have thought they would want to swarm again especially if moved and have reorientated again??!!