Welcome, Guest

Author Topic: Today Was A Good Day  (Read 1698 times)

Offline JP

  • The Swarm King
  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 11709
  • Gender: Male
  • I like doing cut-outs, but I love catching swarms!
    • JPthebeeman.com
Today Was A Good Day
« on: March 21, 2009, 01:44:57 am »
Today my friend Albert called me

Last year we set him up with a swarm that really took off and a cut out that became kind of aggressive.

The swarm hive grew pretty large and he was even able to harvest some honey same season from them as they were great producers and were quick to build up.

We decided to make a queen from the nice, gentle big hive and re queen the mean one.

I burrowed one of my friend Bailey's queen rearing nucs and set up some frames of honey, bee bread and brood comb with eggs.

After about 4 days or so I checked the nuc and we had two queen cells with royal jelly.

After another 5 or 6 days checked again and two capped queen cells.

Well, time kinda moved on by and I was trying my best to keep on tract of the situation in my head but really should have written things down.

Today Albert called to say a lot was going on in the bee yard and that he thinks he saw a swarm move into an empty 3 medium set up.

I went by and the first thing I did was to check the nuc and wouldn't you know it, there was a pretty lil queen in there and two queen cells that were opened and broken down.

The next thing I did was check the 3 medium set up and sure enough a rather smallish swarm had moved in. I could only deduce by the smallish size of this swarm that the other hatched queen from the nuc had swarmed out with about half of the bees from that nuc. Saw queenie in there too.

Next thing I did was go through the big, gentle hive, which BTW, upon last inspection was superseding the queen.

Last inspection did not find her and we saw supersedures so let nature take its course.

Today, going through the box, came across one queen cell that looked like the queen inside was preparing to emerge as I could see a semi circle she cut in the lid.

Well, as we were checking it out, she hatched right on out and we let her walk down in. Put everything back together to let them sort things out. May the strongest virgin win!

Next, I told Albert we need to check the mean hive, which didn't seem quite as mean the last time we checked it and we saw a big fat queen that inspection, laying a really nice pattern I might add.

Albert says, "do we really have to check the mean ones?" Of course I say yes, we have to know what's going on and that they're not getting ahead of us.

Saw the queen and her extra fat fannie and would you know that hive was like 30,000 lap dogs, all wagging their little tails just wantin' some extra loving.


...JP
My Youtube page is titled JPthebeeman with hundreds of educational & entertaining videos.

My website JPthebeeman.com http://jpthebeeman.com

Offline BjornBee

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 3775
  • Gender: Male
Re: Today Was a Good Day
« Reply #1 on: March 21, 2009, 07:38:04 am »
Today my friend Albert called me


He called you what... :-D

It's magical to see a queen emerging for the first time right in front of your eyes.
www.bjornapiaries.com
www.pennapic.org
Please Support "National Honey Bee Day"
Northern States Queen Breeders Assoc.  www.nsqba.com

Offline JP

  • The Swarm King
  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 11709
  • Gender: Male
  • I like doing cut-outs, but I love catching swarms!
    • JPthebeeman.com
Re: Today Was a Good Day
« Reply #2 on: March 21, 2009, 09:25:19 am »
Today my friend Albert called me


He called you what... :-D

It's magical to see a queen emerging for the first time right in front of your eyes.

Albert was stoked to see the virgin pop out and I pulled one smallish queen cell for him to show his girlfriend. Of course we had to have some royal jelly first. Good to the last burn.


...JP
My Youtube page is titled JPthebeeman with hundreds of educational & entertaining videos.

My website JPthebeeman.com http://jpthebeeman.com