Calum

Virgin queens have a habit of settling 50 feet up at the top of a skinny tree.
I think the prime swarms tend to settle lower.

We don't even have drones flying here yet so I would be surprised to see a swarm.

Hi Jon,
it must be very chilly where you are! I have heard of another five in our area over the weekend...
We had about 2 weeks of bad weather after a good dandelion pear and apple crop - so during the bad weather idle hands have been doing the devils work! This week will see more...

A beekeeper here took this week of work especially to have the time for catching swarms..

It is giving temperatures this week of maximum 10-12c, sleet over higher ground.
Of course the big colonies are probably making queen cells even as we speak. The first warm day will see a mass of swarms as the cold weather is keeping the queen at home even though queen cells may already be sealed.

"The first warm day will see a mass of swarms ". That's a comforting thought!

Coming back to Gavin's comment about virgins sometimes flying higher, I wonder if it is because they are lighter that a mature specimin, or if the wings are perfect. The only virgin queen I caught was 2 feet off the ground on a single branch and one shake and all the bees dropped into the box with a satisfying thump.

I was a bit surprised by that comment (the one about high-flying virgins), thinking that those bees that were high up (trees, chimneys) might seek a similar setting - not that the state of the queen affects flying height. Could be though.

> Coming back to Gavin's comment

Can't take the credit. Its was Jon's (and I'm not sure how he feels at being confused with an overweight Scotsman!).

I was a bit surprised by that comment (the one about high-flying virgins)

It may be an old wives tale but I have seen a few decide to settle 50' up.
I'll see if I can dig out a reference as I have to admit that statement was based on a comment from the old man and he never lets the facts get in the way of a bold statement.

I couldn't possibly comment on Gavin's girth.

I found this - also anecdotal - from an article by Roger Patterson of West Sussex Beekeepers.

http://www.wgbka.org.uk/WGBKAdocs/De...warms%20V2.pdf

In my experience swarms with virgin queens can behave differently than those with fertile queens.
They can often settle at a much greater height, and are more likely to abscond.

You've been busy looking for sources! S'pose that they do tend to fly far, so why not high too ..... on the other hand it is the workers who decide on a new home.

Is it possible that Roger made the leap to anecdotal statement and that your dad overheard the speculation at the Cock in Gormanston?

Someone who will probably read this has told me that feral swarms are flighty and tend to abscond if not treated carefully, but I didn't know of a link with the status of the queen.