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Author Topic: Removing breeder queen from hive.  (Read 3385 times)

Offline brendan

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Removing breeder queen from hive.
« on: April 20, 2010, 06:05:45 pm »
Need some advice from those more experienced. I am planning on using the hopkins or case method to raise a few queens. I am also going to use the cloake board. In doing this I need to get my queen to lay on a particular frame in the bottom box where she is currently confined. I have two shallow frames in this box with unwired comb from a failed attempt at comb honey from a previous year. If I cannot get her to lay in these frames (they have been present in the center of the brood nest for 2d so far) can I take her out and put her into a nuc with just these frames and a feeder and some nurse bees. I am concerned that the parent hive will start queen cells and this will induce a swarm. When I place her back in the parent hive in the bottom box will she simply destroy these started cells. Sorry for the novella but any help would be appreciated.

Online Michael Bush

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Re: Removing breeder queen from hive.
« Reply #1 on: April 21, 2010, 12:29:08 am »
I made a #5 hardware cloth confinement cage:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesqueenrearing.htm#hopkinsmethod
http://www.bushfarms.com/images/QueenConfinement5.jpg
so she has no where else to lay... and I know how old the eggs are.

My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
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"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Offline brendan

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Re: Removing breeder queen from hive.
« Reply #2 on: April 21, 2010, 01:20:42 pm »
Micheal, thanks for the advice. I have reviewed your website in the past and found it quite useful, thank you for all your hard work in sharing your knowledge. I originally attempted just what you suggested, however, I cannot find number five hardware cloth at any hardware store in kc. Where do you get it?

Online Michael Bush

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Re: Removing breeder queen from hive.
« Reply #3 on: April 21, 2010, 10:54:06 pm »
I bought mine from Brushy Mt. by the foot.  I haven't seen a recent catalog but last I looked Brushy Mt. and Betterbee had it by the foot.  You can also go to an Ace Hardware store and order it by the roll I think.  I think you can even order it from ACE online. But I'd have to check that.  I try to always have some #8, #7, #5 and #4 on hand.  The #8 is good when you just want to make sure bees don't get through.  The #7 is good when you want pollen to be able to get through and no bees (but a bent wire has been known to let the occasional bee through) the #5 is good when you want the bees to be able to get through but not the queen and the #4 is good for mouse guards.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
-------------------
"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Offline David LaFerney

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Re: Removing breeder queen from hive.
« Reply #4 on: April 21, 2010, 11:58:15 pm »
It seems that only the even numbers are still readily available.  If you find a source of #5 or #7 you better get it while you can if you need it.  Some of the suppliers are still listing it, but in my experience of looking for #7 (for beetle traps) it might not actually be available.  My local hardware store was very helpful, but couldn't get it. I finally found an old stock roll of what I was looking for - actually someone on here pointed it out to me. 

The good news is that you can get cages made for exactly what you are doing from the bee suppliers.
"It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so." Samuel Clemens

Putting the "ape" in apiary since 2009.

Online Michael Bush

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Re: Removing breeder queen from hive.
« Reply #5 on: April 22, 2010, 01:11:31 am »
Actually I don't know of any cages from the suppliers that will act as a queen excluder while allowing the bees through.  #5 is used worldwide for screening coffee beans so I can't imagine that something required for the second largest commodity (in dollars) in the world... in Africa it is called "coffee cloth" or "coffee wire".  But I have not looked for it recently.  #5 and #7 are necessary for pollen traps.  I know Lloyd Spears has said that finding quality hardware cloth has been a challange in recent years but I have not heard it is not available...  maybe I should try to stock up...  I have plenty of #8 but #7 and #5 I only have a little of.  One could build a cage with a piece of the plastic queen excluder material for the face and  a frame of wood and some #8 hardware cloth for the edges to go into the wax...

My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
-------------------
"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Offline David LaFerney

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Re: Removing breeder queen from hive.
« Reply #6 on: April 22, 2010, 09:12:21 am »
If you find a good source of it please post it as it's own thread!  Maybe you won't have any problem - I hope not.   Apparently just because something is commonly available in Brazil doesn't mean it is easy to find in Tennessee. 
"It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so." Samuel Clemens

Putting the "ape" in apiary since 2009.

 

anything