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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