Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => REQUEENING & RAISING NEW QUEENS => Topic started by: Wes Sapp on April 05, 2007, 11:07:30 am

Title: To queen or not to queen?
Post by: Wes Sapp on April 05, 2007, 11:07:30 am: Iâ€™m new to the forum and the world of beekeeping and Iâ€™m looking for advice. I started a hive late last August that maybe queenless (QL) now. I inspected the hive 3 weeks ago and found queen cells on a frame. I started destroying the cells as I found them. After inspecting all frames it hit me there were no eggs or larva just capped brood. I went back and looked for my marked queen and couldnâ€™t find her. Two weeks later and no eggs or larva I thought I must be QL. Then I read a thread posted by Zoot on 6/06. Now Iâ€™m not sure. Today is three weeks since noticing. I plan to check for eggs today. I just got a new queen today. Should I go ahead and start the intro process or give it one more week?
Title: Re: To queen or not to queen?
Post by: Understudy on April 05, 2007, 05:11:57 pm: If you have the queen and there isn't brood in the hive. Put the new queen to work.

Sincerley,
Brendhan
Title: Re: To queen or not to queen?
Post by: Wes Sapp on April 05, 2007, 09:11:20 pm: Thanks for the reply Brendhan.
I did intro the queen this afternoon. How long should I give them before checking to see if the queen was released?
Title: Re: To queen or not to queen?
Post by: Understudy on April 06, 2007, 10:40:08 am: If you didn't do a direct release I would check in 24 hours. If they haven't killed her by then and they are gathering around the queen cage just do a direct release.

Sincerely,
Brendhan
Title: Re: To queen or not to queen?
Post by: Michael Bush on April 06, 2007, 10:44:18 am: If you are doing a candy release, I'd come back in four days and see if she's out. If you left the cork in, I'd come back in four days and release her. That seems to have the highest rate of acceptance. But they sometimes accept her much sooner.
Title: Re: To queen or not to queen?
Post by: Understudy on April 06, 2007, 10:47:16 am: Michael,

The reason I recommended 24 hours vs. four days is because they have not had a laying queen for 2 weeks.

Sincerely,
Brendhan
Title: Re: To queen or not to queen?
Post by: Wes Sapp on April 06, 2007, 01:34:32 pm: I did the candy release. But I think I will give it at least 3 days because I can't get another queen until the end of April if they don't except this one.
Title: Re: To queen or not to queen?
Post by: Michael Bush on April 06, 2007, 02:49:59 pm: >The reason I recommended 24 hours vs. four days is because they have not had a laying queen for 2 weeks.

I understand. And it may go fine. Four days is just a better bet.