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Author Topic: Hairclip queen catchers  (Read 7220 times)

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Hairclip queen catchers
« Reply #20 on: July 24, 2008, 09:24:29 pm »
Beeworks has the "crown of thorns" device for marking.

I like the queen muff from Brushy Mt.  Very good insurance.

I don't clip them generally.  Occasionally I'll clip a breeder just so if her mark wears off I can still tell if it's the original queen.

They will swarm with or without the clipped queen.  They will just leave with the first virgin out.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
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"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Offline WV Hillbilly

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Re: Hairclip queen catchers
« Reply #21 on: July 26, 2008, 03:51:13 pm »
    Why doesn't the original queen kill the virgin queens ? I have always read that the first virgin queen to hatch kills the unhatched virgins . I thought the original queen & the swarm left before the virgin queens hatched .

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Hairclip queen catchers
« Reply #22 on: July 26, 2008, 07:17:16 pm »
>Why doesn't the original queen kill the virgin queens ?

Laying queens don't try to kill anyone.

> I have always read that the first virgin queen to hatch kills the unhatched virgins .

Yes.  Virgins try to kill virgins.  They don't try to kill laying queens and laying queens don't try to kill anyone.

> I thought the original queen & the swarm left before the virgin queens hatched .

Usually, but not if the old queen is clipped.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
-------------------
"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin