BBKA Forum

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.

Apparently she does have an accompanying flight of attendants when she leaves the colony but it isn't something I've ever seen.

Mating swarms - sometimes they will even settle nearby before going back into the hive.