BBKA Forum

British Beekeepers Association Official Forum 

  • Mating flight

  • General Q&A, Bee chat and only Bee chat please
General Q&A, Bee chat and only Bee chat please
 #3070  by Lua Lua
 13 May 2019, 17:29
Is there quite a kerfuffle when the Q departs for a mating flight?

Our neighbour reported a “swarm, bees all over our garden, loud noise of bees flying around, but this time they did not settle”. We were away but it was about when we were expecting our queen to be thinking about a mating. We don’t seem to have lost any bees and we did go back and check for queen cells 1 week after an artificial swarm. I am wondering if she is accompanied by quite a retinue when she goes out.
 #3074  by Chrisbarlow
 13 May 2019, 19:20
Apparently she does have an accompanying flight of attendants when she leaves the colony but it isn't something I've ever seen.
 #3075  by Caroline
 13 May 2019, 20:25
Mating swarms - sometimes they will even settle nearby before going back into the hive.