I raised several queens last year.  I marked them as soon as they emerged [prior to mating flights].  One of the nucs with the new virgins was facing a neighbor's house - its new queen had just started laying - so I decided to turn it 180 deg. to alter their flying pattern.

The next evening, I was very surprised to find a cluster of bees attached to the screened bottom of the nuc.  (I keep nucs off the ground on bricks.)  I first went through the nuc - very few bees and no queen.  Then I shook the cluster off onto the ground. In the swarm of bees I spotted a marked queen.  I placed the nuc in front of the bees on the ground and they all marched in with the queen.

I can't be 100% sure but think the very young queen, that had just started laying, took a flight after I can rotated the nuc and returned to where the entrance used to be.  Finding no entrance she followed the scent come down through the screened bottom.  Other bees must have followed the same pattern.

From what I know queens take flight only to mate (or to leave with a swarm).  I don't suppose this could have been a cleansing flight.  Anyone else experience this?

Waldemar


>>If you give them a frame or two of partially sealed brood, they'll feel compelled to care for it and stay.  If they are headed by a
"partially" virgin queen, she should be able to take additional
flights from the new location to be "well" mated.<<.
Do you think that this happens? ...  we have often thought that they went for a second mating flight but have never witnessed it actually happening.  All queens are maked according to their line -

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