Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => REQUEENING & RAISING NEW QUEENS => Topic started by: kedgel on April 10, 2010, 12:10:12 am
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I've never re-queened before so I'm not sure what's best. One of my hives is a trapout about a year old. The queen was made from the frame of brood I put in the trap hive, so I know she's not old. They are still starting to get aggressive. I had one nail me 20' from the hive. I really want to preserve their genetics, as they are very hygenic. I've never seen another hive so intolerant of shbs. I used a nucleus of what was left of a queenless hive that the shbs had decimated. The trapped-out bees completely cleaned out the shb larvae and turned the hive into a thriving colony. To date I have only seen ONE shb in the hive, and that was after I added another deep with too many frames for them to cover. I've read that to keep the bees gentle, one should re-queen every year. Should I pinch the old one and let them make a new one, or should I buy one and take my chances? (I can get local queens from a guy in my beek assn.)
Kelly
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Spent the money and get a good queen fast.
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It is said that migratory beeks here in Ca. requeen a minimum of twice a year to minimize the possible spread of ahb but I haven't done that personally.
I think it is a matter of what you decide.
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I'd make a small nuc with the existing queen(so you'll have her in case something goes wrong) and give them a shot at making their own. If you want to preserve their genetics that is. That way if they fail to make a new queen you can put the old one back until you can get one from a local queen breeder. Once the colony is up and running with the new queen(either their own or a purchased one) you can pinch the queen or perhaps sell her to another beek who is willing to put up with their over-defensive nature in exchange for their hygienic traits.
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There really is no reason to put up with a hot temper hive. She will most likely though a mean spirit daughter from her genetics. Also, you don't want to lose a month of brood for them to requeen themselves.
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Do a Marie Antoinette treatment on her royal meanness and get a better tempered queen. You don't want to have those genetic traits. I have had hot hives before and its just not any fun.
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If this hive has shown itself to be consistently aggressive, I would requeen with a queen from a gentler colony.
The sooner you get a new one in, the sooner the resolve will begin. Allowing a mean queenright hive to become queenlees while they are making a new queen just adds time to the entire issue and they may become even more aggressive while making a new queen.
Nip it in the bud as quickly as you can.
...JP