From: "Chuck Norton"  Often when searching for a queen I will gently puff
(breath) upon a frame having a mass of clustered workers.  Sometimes,
although rarely, you can find her as the  cluster of bees disperses.

If a queen is found inside such a cluster, does it not imply some unusual
situation?  Queens cannot lay properly if semi-balled.  I would wonder if
the bees are not restraining that queen for some reason - which might be
that she is old and besing superceded.  If so, emoving the old queen will
still leave the hive queen-right. I would check for eggs a few days later -
before say releasing a valuable new queen.

Robin Dartington

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