Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => REQUEENING & RAISING NEW QUEENS => Topic started by: greenbtree on September 10, 2010, 01:29:01 am
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O.K. I have a really basic question. Will a new queen breed with drones from her own hive? I would assume that once all were out flying around she wouldn't know the difference, but heaven knows I have been wrong in my assumptions before. I ask because I removed a huge hive from a house about to be torn down, late in the year here in Iowa I know, but had nothing to lose. The queen apparently bought the farm in transit, but I have seen queen cells. I don't know how many drones are out in the world here in Iowa now, but this hive has a bunch of big healthy looking guys ready to go. Thus my question.
The hive really took a hit, but has settled down, become very active and is just sucking down the sugar syrup. We are also in the middle of the goldenrod flow now.
JC
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I would think that yes, a queen would tap any drone out there including if he was from her hive. So this hive still has drones?
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Inbreeding does occur but is not what nature has intended. I hear some of the most wicked hives out there are due to inbreeding.
...JP
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Yes, this hive still does. It had tons a couple of weeks ago when I removed it, and a lot of drone capped brood at that point too. I guess since it was such a big established hive it was casting off a lot of drones late in the season to spread it's genes around. None of my hives at home (which are all small in comparison because I just started this year) have produced anything even close to this many drones (even proportionately).
JC
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And JP - thanks a bunch. This hive is already wicked. I was hoping they would calm down a bit, but noooo... I got stung twice yesterday adjusting their lid, these girls go for my long hair and burrow in so you can't brush them off. Do you ever get bees in your beard? :-D
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I don't get many in my beard, but when I do its quite the buffer, kinda like mosquito proof netting. :-D
...JP
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The queen has no idea what drones are from her hive. The mechanism that skews the odds in favor of other drones is that her drones will usually fly a shorter distance to a DCA than she will. This is no guarantee, just something that improves the odds.