What to do with a queen

[jsmob]

 I bought a package of bees in third week of April 07. The hive built up so quick I was able to pull 50 lbs of the hive that year. This year this same hive produced 2 deep and 2med super of honey. I will be going into my third season with this queen. I know she is getting old.
 Here are the questions;
 1. How long do they live on average?

 2. Is it to late to raise some daughters from her?

 3. Should I replace her this year?

 4. And if I want to see how long she will live should I put her in a nuc and just add her young to other hives, or leave her alone let the bees do there thing and just watch for superseder cells?
 

[rdy-b]

Most folks dont like this -but you could break one of here legs -and they should supersede her-dont do it tell there are plenty drones-hobbling at one time was very popular but has lost its flare :lol: RDY-B

[Brian D. Bray]

If the queen wasn't marked so you tell it was the same queen chances are she's already been superceded or the hive swarmed and your most current year is with a different queen.  The stock sounds energetic and you might want to do a few splits to get more hives with them same industry letting the bees develop their own queens.  Walk away splits.

[jsmob]

If the queen wasn't marked so you tell it was the same queen

She is the same queen yellow dot

[dpence]

Like Brian said, I would be trying to preserve those genetics.  Splits all around...

David

[Michael Bush]

> 1. How long do they live on average?

Average?  Probably two years.  But many make it to three.  Not many make it a lot past that as the head of a strong hive as they run out of sperm.

> 2. Is it to late to raise some daughters from her?

Late in the season?  Late in her life?  I don't raise queens in Sacramento, so I don't know the queen rearing season.  If she's alive you can use her for a breeder queen.  Jay Smith had them as old as 7 years old...

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesqueenrearing.htm#queenlongevity

> 3. Should I replace her this year?

Why?

> 4. And if I want to see how long she will live should I put her in a nuc and just add her young to other hives, or leave her alone let the bees do there thing and just watch for superseder cells?

If you want to breed queens from her, a nuc is good as she won't run out of sperm so quickly and you can keep grafting for a while.  If you just want to keep her around, the nuc will probably do better.  Probably not in my climate as she's less likely to make it through the winter.

 

[justgojumpit]

I would use her to rear some queens, and then keep her as the queen for a small split.  If she is as good as you say, and you do not do a lot of medicating, she could still last a lot longer for you. 

justgojumpit