How To Find The Queen In My Beehive?
Are you asking yourself, is there a queen in my beehive? In the intricate world of beekeeping, the queen bee holds a pivotal role in the hive's success and vitality. Recognising the queen amongst tens of thousands on her daughters is a skill every beekeeper should master. In this blog post, we will delve into the various methods and characteristics that can aid you in identifying the queen bee within your beehive and provide you with a fool proof method to find your queen when all other methods have failed. Is there a queen in my beehive? Find out below...
Understanding the Importance of the Queen Bee:
Before we embark on the journey of identification, it is crucial to appreciate the significance of the queen bee. As the hive's matriarch, she is responsible for laying eggs, ensuring the colony's continuity, and emitting pheromones that maintain order and cohesion among the worker bees. Identifying the queen is not just a skill for the sake of curiosity; it is a fundamental aspect of effective hive management.
This doesn't mean you need to see the queen on every inspection. But you do need to learn to understand the signs that show that queen bee is present in the hive. It's a bit like seeing your dog's footprints in the snow. You know the dog was there not long ago without actually see it there. Is there a queen in my beehive? If you see eggs, you don't need to see her, you know there is a queen in your beehive!
Visual Characteristics of the Queen Bee:
Size and Body Shape: The queen bee is distinguishable by her size and body structure. Typically, she is larger than the worker bees but smaller than the drones. Her elongated abdomen sets her apart, giving her a more substantial appearance compared to her subjects.
Colouration: While worker bees are usually a mix of browns and greys, the queen's coloration is distinct. Her body tends to be longer and more uniformly coloured, often showcasing a golden or amber hue. However, it's essential to note that the queen's colour can vary depending on her age and genetics.
Wing Length: Another characteristic to observe is the length of the wings. Queen bees have shorter wings that only extend to the tip of their abdomen. This is in contrast to worker bees, whose wings typically cover a more significant portion of their bodies.
When completing your inspections it's always nice to see the queen bee to give you the comfort and confidence that the colony is in good shape. You can use some of the behavioural identifiers below to help you either identify where the queen is or confirm she is in the hive without actually seeing her.
Behavioural Cues:
Egg-Laying Activity: One of the primary responsibilities of the queen is laying eggs. If you observe a bee actively moving across the comb and depositing eggs into cells, you've likely identified the queen. This behaviour is exclusive to the queen, as worker bees focus on tasks such as foraging and nursing the brood. However, this is the also the best method of identification of the presence of the queen.
If I am inspecting my bees and I pull out two or three frames and they are full of eggs, I do not need to see the queen. I know she is in there as she is the only one who will lay nice neat patterns of eggs.
Attended by Worker Bees: The queen is constantly attended to by worker bees who groom and feed her. If you notice a bee surrounded by a retinue of workers, it is highly probable that you have identified the queen.
Queens don't always stand still though but what is noticeably is that worker bees tend to move out of her way as she walks across the frame. This is the behaviour that I look for as opposed to looking for the queen. I focus on the whole frame and try to spot movement away from a particular area. Try it, it's quite effective.
Pheromone Detection: The queen bee emits specific pheromones that help maintain the hive's unity. While this is not a visible cue, observing how the other bees react can provide indirect confirmation of the queen's presence. Worker bees may display increased activity and organization when the queen is nearby.
Hive Inspection Techniques:
Systematic Frame Examination: During routine hive inspections, carefully examine each frame. The queen tends to move more deliberately than worker bees, and her presence is often noticeable when she moves across the comb.
Take your time and observe each frame systematically and watch out of the movement of the worker bees around others.
Marking the Queen: Some beekeepers choose to mark their queens with a small dot of coloured paint. This practice aids in easy identification during hive inspections. However, it requires precision and care to avoid causing stress or harm to the queen.
Is there a queen in my beehive? You might struggle to see her if you don't mark her! I mark ALL my queens. It makes life SO much easier. I highly recommend once you find your queen, mark her with a good quality oil based pen, which lasts much longer than water based varieties.
Clipping the Queen: I am also a big fan of clipping a queen's wing. This a simple practise and doesn't hurt the queen. It's just like a fingernail trim.
Clipping her wing means she can never fly off in a swarm so she will always remain in the hive or if they do try to swarm, they may swarm with a virgin queen instead. The worst scenario is they swarm and the queen ends up underneath the beehive, where she is easily retrievable.
Queen Excluder Shake: In some instances and swarm management techniques, finding the queen is critical. If you have tried all of the above and still can't find her, this technique is bomb proof. It has never failed me yet.
It involved shaking EVERY SINGLE BEE in the colony through a QX using the scent of open brood as an attractant. It sounds tricky, but it really isn't. All is explained in the video below.
If you determine from using this method that you need a mated queen bee for your colony, you can buy queen bees from us at Black Mountain Honey - button below :)
If you think you might not have a queen in your beehive you test to see if there is a queen in your beehive using the instructions on the following page:
If your bees are queenless and you need to buy a new queen bee, we stock a wide range of queen bees for sale at Black Mountain Honey. Our favourite queen bee for sale is the f1 Buckfast Mated Queen:
In conclusion to the question, is there a queen in my beehive, the ability to identify the queen bee is an essential skill for every beekeeper. Whether through visual characteristics, behavioural cues or meticulous hive inspections, recognising the queen contributes to effective hive management and ensures the overall health and productivity of the colony.
As you embark on your beekeeping journey, honing this skill will deepen your understanding of the intricate dynamics within the hive, fostering a harmonious relationship between beekeeper and bees.
