>When a swarm takes place due to supercedure, do they take their "old"
>queen despite her condition?
>
>If so, and the queen is ailing and cannot fly any distance, is it
>possible that the swarm will settle very close to the hive, i.e. beneath
>the hive if it is placed on blocks, thereby giving a small amount of
>space to settle?
>
>Is the best solution to this situation, if this is indeed what is
>happening, to hive the swarm?  If the queen cannot be found, is it
>suitable to provide them with a frame or two of larvae?
>
>I think this is what is happening with one of my hives.  When I got home
>from work on Friday, it was on the cool side and rainy.  There was a
>_large_ beard of bees on the bottom of the entrance.  I knew the bearding
>wasn't due to hot weather.  The bearding was still in place on Sunday.
>
>I had checked this hive just a few days prior.  I noticed that the queen
>was there, but rather emaciated.  There was larvae present in the hive,
>but not in any great number.  I noticed one or two emergency cells
>hanging from the middle of the frames.
>
>
>Laura Downey
>Anne Arundel Co., Maryland
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>
Hi Laura,
 
        If the swarm leaves before the new queen hatchs, yes the old queen
goes with them, however, if this queen is unable to lead them, the swarm
will return to the hive, where the first hatching queen will take the old
queens place, and if the hive is still crowded, that queen will leave with
the swarm(approx, 70% of bees) Killing the old queen is supercedure,
swarming is hive numbers to great for the space.
Thanks from :
                        [log in to unmask]
                 http://www.eastend.com.au/~goble
            [log in to unmask] ( David Goble )
           American Beach Kangaroo Island South Australia