QUEEN FOUND
MYSTERY SOLVED
As you may recall when last we left our bee hive there
was concern that no Queen was in residence. The colony appeared healthy and vibrant, but no queen even though there was evidence that larvae might be present. "Odd" is how bee expert and advisor, Ian left things, "really odd."
As they continued to study the hive, they saw more signs of a Queenly presence, but not until they were well into the
hive did they make the great discovery.
There was Queenie-a nice sized and young queen. She is the large bee in the center of the frame. Though partially covered by wings, you can see she is larger than the others.
She is the large bee, again just below the middle of the frame. She is also more blond.
They speculate this hive just recently, in the last day or two, made this queen. On first inspection we could not find her, because she is brand new, just born.
One of two things probably happened, the old queen either died, or quit producing off spring and was killed, so a new fertile Queen could take over. Both experts say it is better for a hive to produce its own Queen rather than bring one in from the outside. That is true to a point. After 3 or 4 generations, apparently the DNA or gene pool can be over drawn and you can begin to experience problems. More Bee drama in that case.
As the distant observer, I'm waiting for this hive of Blond Italians to start making enough honey that their documentarian can share the sweet goody.
BTW, I'm told they are a different group from our original Blond Italians who simply disappeared. They either were weakened from with in and were overpowered by marauders or simply swarmed away, for any number of reasons. Who knew the Bees were so much like human Royalty. Intrigue, inbreeding, palace coups, roaming bandits.
The drama buzzes here on the ridge.
See you down the trail.
HERE IS A LATE POST SCRIPT-NOTICE THE COMMENT BELOW FROM MICHAEL, WITH SOME CLARIFICATIONS.
HERE IS A LATE POST SCRIPT-NOTICE THE COMMENT BELOW FROM MICHAEL, WITH SOME CLARIFICATIONS.
Keep your distance, TC. Those other guys are just plain crazy!
ReplyDeleteWonderful pictures. Look just like the ones in "Bee Journal" than Ian gets every month. Soon you should have honey to share.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, the honey Ian is getting tastes so much better than super market honey, milder and cleaner tasting.(I didn't like honey until I tasted Ian's). and it is said that eataing local honey is a cure for pollen allergies.
Love your closing remark.
Lucie
Lucie-
DeleteYour reply has set an anticipation for our own local honey. Thanks for the kind words but I have discovered this area is a point and shoot hot spot-you can't miss a good shot.
You are a great story teller. Thanks for sharing the tale and the amazing photos.
ReplyDeleteTad
Tad-
Deletethanks. It's a nice photo opportunity and all I did was point, shoot and keep a wary eye on the bees buzzing me.
I'm struck by the beauty of the hive. It is remarkable how these creatures fabricate with such precision.
ReplyDeleteML had some great pondering re: the rule of nature and the evolution of a conscience, sparked in part by the creatures that fabricated with such precision. In a coming post....
DeleteA few minor clarifications.
ReplyDelete1. Based on the size of the queen and the extent and age of the brood that we found, I would say the queen had to have been in the hive for about 2 weeks when we found her, rather than a day or two.
2. The problem with allowing bees to make their own queens for more than a few generations is not inbreeding. The regional drone population generally ensures a good genetic mix. The problem is actually the opposite. Queens sold to beekeepers are generally bred for gentleness, among other things. When they breed in the wild for several generations, that gentleness tends to be diluted, meaning that the bees get more defensive and difficult to work with. That's the only downside to extended natural queen succession. But I like to let the bees make their own queens as long as the result is still gentle enough to work without protective gear. It's the natural process and tends to make very good queens.
3. Beehives are rarely overtaken from outside unless they are already seriously weakened from within. This can be varroa mite infestation, pesticides in nectar and pollen, or uncommonly, one of several diseases of honeybees. It can also occur if a queen is lost or fails due to age and ovary depletion (She lays up to 2,000 eggs per day, after all!) But generally the loss of a queen does not cause sufficient weakening from within before the new queen becomes active.
I hope this is helpful.
Michael-Thanks for the clarifications and the help with the Hive. I added a post script
ReplyDeleteabove to point to your clarifications. Appreciate it.
This is all fascinating. Life on planet Earth would change drastically without bees to pollinate so much of what grows on thIs planet.
ReplyDeleteStephen,
DeleteThat in part has motivated our interest. We're trying to help keep them flying.
And I look forward to the honey.