Subject: Swarming then queenless

From: [email-masked] (Andy Nachbaur)
Date: Fri, 26 Jul 1996 15:05:00 GMT

*FYI* Interesting report for Kansas, anyone else notice an increase
in swarming this year?     ttul Andy-

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From: STEVE PHILLIPS <[email-masked]>
To: Multiple recipients of list BEE-L <[email-masked]>
Date:         Fri, 26 Jul 1996 09:14:14 -0500
Subject:      Swarming then queenless

In the area I live, northeast Kansas, swarming has been unusually bad
for everyone, I guess because it was an unusually wet spring.  The
swarms were all very late for this area, all after June 1.  Five of my six
hives swarmed, one in mid July.

All of my hives that swarmed ended up queenless.  I have heard many
other beekeepers in the area have had the same  problem.  What causes
queenlessness after a swarm.  My hives that swarmed all had empty
queen cells in them.  Where did the queens go?

                                             -Steve Phillips-
                                               -Perry, KS-
                                        [email-masked]
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 þ QMPro 1.53 þ ... Nor will a bee buzz round two swelling peaches,

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From: [email-masked] (Craig Gammon)
Date: 1 Aug 1996 04:58:18 GMT

I'm in British Columbia, Canada, near the city of Vancouver 
(not Vancouver, Washington), and I caught a swarm the night of July 22. 
I checked it out tonight, expecting to find eggs and unsealed larva.  
Guess what?  No queen!

	From all indications, there may never have been one, though I 
am considering the possibility that a bird may have gotten her while 
the swarm was in flight.

	Can other beekeepers who have experienced queenless swarms give 
their experiences and comments?  This is most unusual and surprising!

Craig G.