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Author Topic: Cordovan Queens?  (Read 12430 times)

Offline OzBuzz

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Cordovan Queens?
« on: July 29, 2010, 10:23:00 pm »
Hey Everybody,

I was looking on a website and noticed a Queen they refer to as a Cordovan? It's something to do with their colouration that defines them as such...

Does anyone in Australia sell these Queens? To be honest i'm looking at this purely from an aesthetic point of view hahah

Offline fish_stix

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Re: Cordovan Queens?
« Reply #1 on: July 29, 2010, 10:28:27 pm »
Cordovans have a rich golden brown coloration in the body parts that are normally black in Italian bees. Go to www.glenn-apiaries.com for the complete rundown on them.

Offline OzBuzz

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Re: Cordovan Queens?
« Reply #2 on: July 29, 2010, 10:40:04 pm »
Thanks Fish - that's where i actually saw them! i'm interested in seeing if anyone in Australia has them

Offline westmar

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Re: Cordovan Queens?
« Reply #3 on: July 30, 2010, 09:34:52 pm »
hi
   3 years ago i got on to cordovan queens in caboolture,very good queens.bill was cutting back with his queen breeding.contact bill woods 07-54986676 or area code might be 075.bill might no some one that can help you out.

Offline OzBuzz

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Re: Cordovan Queens?
« Reply #4 on: August 09, 2010, 11:50:55 pm »
G'day Westmar,

I spoke with Bill... he isn't really supplying pure cordovans anymore... it seems to be one of those strains which aren't very common in Australia?   :( i'd love to get my hands on one somehow!

Offline OzBuzz

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Re: Cordovan Queens?
« Reply #5 on: September 21, 2010, 10:54:22 pm »
Does anybody know of anyone else holding cordovan stock?

Offline philinacoma

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Re: Cordovan Queens?
« Reply #6 on: September 23, 2010, 01:19:25 am »
I was called out to check out a feral hive today. Not all of the workers looked the same, which is not unusal, but some of them looked like they are cordovan. I guess the queen found herself an exotic to play with.

Could be a way to get some cordovan stock.

I don't have any space at home for any more bees, are you interested in any more bees OzBuzz?

Offline OzBuzz

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Re: Cordovan Queens?
« Reply #7 on: September 23, 2010, 01:49:13 am »
Absolutely - sounds interesting! where are they located?

Offline philinacoma

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Re: Cordovan Queens?
« Reply #8 on: September 23, 2010, 03:32:31 am »
Glen Iris in the wall of a weatherboard house. The entrance is about 9 foot up. I had a feel of the wall I could not feel any extra warmth there but it did vibrate at me. They think its been there for about 18 months. (yeah right) Looks like another big one.

You use 8 framers too don't you? I'ld be looking at 2 boxes and frames, some with wires and foundation, some without.


Offline philinacoma

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Re: Cordovan Queens?
« Reply #9 on: September 23, 2010, 10:52:31 am »
 :oops:
scratch that, I meant carnolians...

Offline OzBuzz

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Re: Cordovan Queens?
« Reply #10 on: September 23, 2010, 09:08:37 pm »
Glen Iris in the wall of a weatherboard house. The entrance is about 9 foot up. I had a feel of the wall I could not feel any extra warmth there but it did vibrate at me. They think its been there for about 18 months. (yeah right) Looks like another big one.

You use 8 framers too don't you? I'ld be looking at 2 boxes and frames, some with wires and foundation, some without.


So it could be a monster? yeah, i use all 8 frames. You reckon it would all fit in two boxes? I have to get some more gear desperately! I'm probably going to go up to Castlemaine to get some boxes, bases and lids either through the week next week or next weekend. How urgently do they want it removed? Do they mind us ripping the boards off?

Offline OzBuzz

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Re: Cordovan Queens?
« Reply #11 on: September 23, 2010, 09:09:32 pm »
:oops:
scratch that, I meant carnolians...

One of my hives is a Carn X Italian! she is my best hive!

Offline philinacoma

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Re: Cordovan Queens?
« Reply #12 on: September 24, 2010, 01:40:05 am »
So it could be a monster? yeah, i use all 8 frames. You reckon it would all fit in two boxes? I have to get some more gear desperately! I'm probably going to go up to Castlemaine to get some boxes, bases and lids either through the week next week or next weekend. How urgently do they want it removed? Do they mind us ripping the boards off?

The number of bees I saw comming and going was pretty high, but until the weather boards are off you can never really be sure.  :-\  I made it clear that boards would have to be removed to access the bees and that I'm not a carpenter, so I'm not able to replace them again. I suggested that it would be atleast a week before I can start the job. I'm out of boxes too. I'm trying to source some more, especially nucs.

The bungalow job that I just finished needed two 10 framers to fit them all in. The brood took up the entire 10 frames of the bottom box. With all of the nurses on the brood there was no space left for the remaining 40+ thousand bees left on the wall. I had to bring in a second box.

I can't have anymore at home as the neighbour is hammering the council about them as it is. Talking of more bees just had a call from a woman in Bulla who is being terrorised by bees in the house. Apparently she has left a message for you to call...


Offline OzBuzz

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Re: Cordovan Queens?
« Reply #13 on: September 24, 2010, 01:50:18 am »
Do you want me to get you some boxes from Castlemaine? He also does nucs! a fully assembled nuc, wax dipped and painted is $25 - you can't buy them flat packed that cheap. Although i'm making up some this weekend (I haven't had the time to do it yet!) so i should have some spare...

I've got three swarms at my little townhouse at the moment! two on the roof and one on the back porch! that's a temporary thing as i don't have another quarantine yard yet.

I spoke to the woman from Bulla! the bees are apparently in their brick wall! i also got a call from a woman who has bees in her chimney - shudder - and a guy called about a swarm today too! after the warm weather this weekend in about 15 days from now it's going to go nuts!

Offline philinacoma

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Re: Cordovan Queens?
« Reply #14 on: September 24, 2010, 03:00:23 am »
I have a swarm in Deerpark tomorrow, the ferals in Glen Iris sometime in the next couple of weeks and went to look at some more ferals/swarm in Hampton today but they look like they've moved on. Plus the woman from Bulla who called.

I told you to be carefull what you wished for when you said bring on spring!

I may need a couple of nucs from Castlemaine, call me before you go.

Offline OzBuzz

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Re: Cordovan Queens?
« Reply #15 on: September 24, 2010, 03:11:56 am »
I have a swarm in Deerpark tomorrow, the ferals in Glen Iris sometime in the next couple of weeks and went to look at some more ferals/swarm in Hampton today but they look like they've moved on. Plus the woman from Bulla who called.

I told you to be carefull what you wished for when you said bring on spring!

I may need a couple of nucs from Castlemaine, call me before you go.

That one in Deer Park - is it a guy named Stephen?

Hahhaah yep! i know! i have 8 hives now! not bad when i only had two a few weeks ago!

No worries mate, i should have some spare after i make a few up this weekend too... I have a swarm to pick up tonight which i may need to dump in a cardboard box

Offline Pete

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Re: Cordovan Queens?
« Reply #16 on: September 24, 2010, 10:15:41 am »
Was the Hampton one a hospital? they phoned me but said it 5m up in the air...told em to keep ringing people on the list.


Offline philinacoma

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Re: Cordovan Queens?
« Reply #17 on: September 24, 2010, 10:47:18 am »
Was the Hampton one a hospital? they phoned me but said it 5m up in the air...told em to keep ringing people on the list.


Yeah, that was the one. Where they had been getting in was that high, but they would have been going into the roof space as the walls were solid brick. I got up into the roof and there was nothing there. There was no sign of bee lines anywhere and no fanning. They were gone.

Looks like I'm number 2 choice for every one!  :'(

Offline tecumseh

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Re: Cordovan Queens?
« Reply #18 on: September 26, 2010, 08:43:09 am »
I raise Cordovans here and they are without a doubt God's prettiest bee.  They also have a reputation for being extremely gentle.  One of my very much 'newbee' clients has even worked his new hive without gloves and without veil... although I encourage him not to do... or at least not to get into a habit of doing so.

A Cordovan is sometime referred to as a red head since the black part of the head, throax and tip of the tail of your typical italian bees becomes a rusty red color.  They are quite easy to see on the comb even without painting.  This unusual coloration of this Italian honeybee is created by a double recessive genetic combination.  This double recessive genetic trait can be useful in that when the Cordovan queen is replaced the coloration of the hive is HIGHLY likely to change also (since the likelyhood of the next queen also have the same double recessive gene makeup is very unlikely).  The drone population is very useful in this regards since they reflect directly the queens coloration... so you can kind of determine this change just watching bees at the front door of the hive.   
I am 'the panther that passes in the night'... tecumseh.

Offline Pete

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Re: Cordovan Queens?
« Reply #19 on: September 26, 2010, 09:27:49 am »
Was the Hampton one a hospital? they phoned me but said it 5m up in the air...told em to keep ringing people on the list.


Yeah, that was the one. Where they had been getting in was that high, but they would have been going into the roof space as the walls were solid brick. I got up into the roof and there was nothing there. There was no sign of bee lines anywhere and no fanning. They were gone.

Looks like I'm number 2 choice for every one!  :'(

Did you charge em to inspect it? I am not going to go to anymore hives in roofs and if i do i will charge for coming out and checking it. Surprising how many people grumble when i say i would like to cover my costs and i know them to be less than half what pest control costs and you get to save the bees!

I have had a few calls for places up your way and told the people to call you. Another today in a chimney in Chelthnam...did they call you too?