BBKA Forum

Annoyingly I killed a queen today.
I had been uniting two colonies and my best guess is that she happened to be under a frame and was damaged as I slid a brood frame across before removing it; there was a queen excluder underneath and she was found on that, still moving a little.
I suppose it happens from time to time.

I killed a queen a few years ago in a nuc which had the wrong bee space under the frames. They had built a bit of comb under the frame and when I lowered one back into the hive a great buzz emitted from the bees. I put the crownboard and roof back on and walked away, but five minutes later I started to wonder why the bees had made such an odd sound ? So I went back to check, when I lifted the frames the queen was squashed under the wild comb against the floor. Why did the bees react so quick ? I can only think the queen gave a bee scream as she was squashed

I try to remember to cut the comb off the bottom bars but sometimes forget- for exactly that reason.
I've been making some floors for when the polynuc second brood chambers aren't needed.
The beespace the manufacturer has set in the moulding is 5/16 but on the nuc itself it's nearer 3/4
One hand not knowing what the other is doing.

If you put the Paradise Honey brood boxes together, the bee space is under 4 mm from top to bottom. A guaranteed bee-squasher!

It seems to be a signature move with poly designers-taking a tried and tested format and then re-inventing it with flaws.

Really really annoying but, it does happen (to me several times) and could have been a worse time, ie at the end of the season when the weather is cooler and a queen wouldn't stand much chance of get mated?! At least they have time to raise another queen!

Queens can do piping - why not a squeak.
Or was it just your wallet protesting Mick?
Maisemore sale tomorrow- mine's moaning like a shopsteward

Thanks for the sale tip Alfred!
I was about to order more stuff when I realised I still had a Maisemore box which has unmade supers, a brood, smoker and queen marker plunger thing I only bought a week or so ago, together with more frames (great quality for 2nds) and some smoker cord!! It's like christmas all over again!!

At least your kill was quick. I suspect one of mine is a slow agony. Caged queen in nuc to introduce.....forgot to open entrance of nuc.!!!!..hot weather. Went to release her,,,,,bees were fanning to keep cool and they had waxed over every bit of the cage....she looked like a virgin (starved) when I released her. I doubt she is long for this world.
Damn!

Sounds horrible Nigel! Did you give them a spray of weather to cool them down?!
You learn by your mistakes (allegedly) but it's so so annoying especially when you genuinely want the best for them!