Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Course Bee on April 28, 2013, 12:03:19 am

Title: Banking a caged queen
Post by: Course Bee on April 28, 2013, 12:03:19 am

Can I bank a caged queen with attendants in a hive that is queenright? I have a caged queen that I am trying to keep alive but I don't have enough bees and brood to make up a nuc.

Will the bees take care of her or will they try to ball her in the cage?

Thanks.

Title: Re: Banking a caged queen
Post by: RHBee on April 28, 2013, 03:13:16 am

I understand that with the proper use of a queen excluder it can be done. I also understand that you want to move some open brood above the excluder and feed. The brood entices nurse bees above the excluder and syrup provides resources.
Learned from reading no experience yet. If I'm wrong I'm sure others will correct. Good luck. BTW: how long do you plan to bank her? I just kept 2 queens banked for 8 days in there cages by using a small ventilated cardboard box. I added about a cup of bees, a honey ball and a wet sponge. Everyone survived just fine.

Title: Re: Banking a caged queen
Post by: Finski on April 28, 2013, 03:54:20 am

.
You must have a small nuc.
At leat I have not heard that queens can be banked after mating.

. Workers must get out for cleansing.
Bees need pollen and drinking water.

Title: Re: Banking a caged queen
Post by: hankdog1 on April 28, 2013, 05:33:29 am

Would be better to bank her in a queen less nuc IMHO.  Be better if you could use her right away because the longer you bank them the shorter the life span. 

Title: Re: Banking a caged queen
Post by: Michael Bush on April 29, 2013, 11:43:45 am

How long do you need to bank her?  For a week or so you can just give the cage (with attendants and candy) a drop of water a day.  If you need to keep them a few weeks, you can just put the cage in a box with some air holes and add new bees from time to time.  If you need to keep them a few months, just set up a nuc with a frame of brood and a frame of honey and introduce the queen.

Title: Re: Banking a caged queen
Post by: Course Bee on April 30, 2013, 05:11:06 pm

Thanks Michael I may try the box with holes. I don't have enough brood in my only survivor hive to steal any for a nuc (which was my original plan.) I wanted to keep her alive in case anyone in our Association comes up queenless when hiving packages or first inspections. I have her in a paper bag in the queen cage with attendance since April 21st and they're getting pretty stressed.

Title: Re: Banking a caged queen
Post by: RHBee on April 30, 2013, 09:22:33 pm

http://www.beesource.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-268708.html (http://www.beesource.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-268708.html)
http://www.honeybeesuite.com/banking-frames-hold-multiple-queens/ (http://www.honeybeesuite.com/banking-frames-hold-multiple-queens/)

This is the kinda stuff I was talking about.