Buy Queens or grow your own

[gregted]

I have been reading up on Queen rearing and even though I haven't tried this myself it sounds pretty straight forward so I was wondering why buy a queen when you can grow your own so to speak.

In my case, I am pretty sure queeny has absconded without leaving any suitable brood to replace her and my only option is to introduce another queen.

I can also understand introducing another strand of dna to avoid inbreeding. While discussing inbreeding, how often should I buy/introduce another queen to my apiary. I will only have 2 hives if both splits survive. Can I split these hives later this year or wait till next year.

As I stated I have no personal experience with rearing queens but I think I will try this soon so just trying to get all the information.

The Cloake method sounds easiest and less stress on the hive

On swarms.... Drove our train through one yesterday ( Friday ) just below Murphys Creek qld. Lucky it hit the windscreen, we had both side windows open.

[Michael Bush]

>why buy a queen when you can grow your own so to speak.

Indeed.

>I can also understand introducing another strand of dna to avoid inbreeding. While discussing inbreeding

No need.  Bees have mechanisms built into the way the reproduce to insure genetic diversity.  All you have to do is not rear all your queens from the same mother and let the drones provide more diversity.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesqueenrearing.htm
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesafewgoodqueens.htm
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesoldbooks.htm
http://www.bushfarms.com/beeshopkinsmethod.htm

[OzBuzz]

How long have you been beekeeping for mate? it is a fairly involved process (unless you do the walk away method) - i'm in my second year and it's something that i want to have a play with although i will use a Jenter or Nicot system - grafting is not my forte...

[Michael Bush]

The Miller method, the Hopkins method or what I have above as "a few good queens" method, don't require grafting and are only as complicated as you want to make them.  A Jenter or Nicot work fine as well, but you have to buy them.  :)

[RayMarler]

I like growing queens, it's the best part of beekeeping for me.
Grow your own, you'll learn more, faster and more deeply, about bees and beehives.
I highly recommend reading those links of Michael's, the old books. They'll teach you more than the newer queen rearing books, IMHO, then jump in and do it this spring after danger of frost. Near or after spring equinox is a good time in most places.