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Author Topic: Books on Raising Queens?  (Read 5782 times)

Offline mlewis48

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Books on Raising Queens?
« on: February 14, 2008, 02:15:21 am »
 Hello everyone,
 I was looking at e-bay for some deal on beekeeping,  maybe a new book or something but I have been thinking about, in the future, trying to raise a few queens. Can anyone tell me a good book or two to get that would point me in the right direction. Something to read in the downtime of winter. I know that this is something that will take time to learn but no time like now to read up and learn something that will help me in the future.  Anything would help.
                                        Thanks,
                                         Marcus
" Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are gonna get"

Offline Cindi

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Re: Books on Raising Queens?
« Reply #1 on: February 14, 2008, 10:34:24 am »
Marcus, wintertime is almost over, hee, hee.  There are lots of good books on queen rearing I hear, I hope that you get turned on to something that would be good for you to read, in your winter hibernation,  :-D :) :)  Beautiful day, beautiful life. Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Books on Raising Queens?
« Reply #2 on: February 14, 2008, 10:49:46 am »
There aren't new, but they are excellent books and they are free:

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesoldbooks.htm

It includes Hopkins own method "the Hopkins method", the Smith method, the Alley method, the Doolittle method and the Better Queens method.

And here's my queen rearing advice:

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesqueenrearing.htm
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
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Offline KONASDAD

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Re: Books on Raising Queens?
« Reply #3 on: February 14, 2008, 03:12:43 pm »
I am doing same research as well for queens for my club. We want to develop a club bee yard for queen rearing local stock w/ survivor traits. At the moment, no concrete plans or ideas, just goals. In preperation for thisd endeavor, I have been reading Sue Colby's info and her use of the "cloake" method. I am dizzy w/ questions and thoughts and all types of info swimming around my head. But its all good. Wife cant understand why ther'es so much to learn for an insect(sigh). Dont they raise themselves?! I am now pouring over MB's info-thanx as usual. Soon, after i digest it all i hope to have a few questions, for now I'll just read and watch.
"The more complex the Mind, the Greater the need for the simplicity of Play".

Offline KONASDAD

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Re: Books on Raising Queens?
« Reply #4 on: February 15, 2008, 12:09:42 pm »
thanx MB. I read all of your stuff and it is as usual a great tutorial. Cant wait to start raising some queens! thanx :-D
"The more complex the Mind, the Greater the need for the simplicity of Play".

Offline dpence

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Re: Books on Raising Queens?
« Reply #5 on: February 15, 2008, 01:03:15 pm »
Contemporary Queen Rearing, Dr Laidlaw published by Dadant is an excellant text.  Marla Spivak, University of Minnesota also has an excellant video accompanied by a manual with patterns for necessary woodenware for raising queens.  It models the Doolittle method.  Good luck with your queen rearing.

David 

Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: Books on Raising Queens?
« Reply #6 on: February 16, 2008, 12:13:31 am »
I've decided to have a double stacked 2 high with a single entrance for holding/raising queens this year.  It is essentially 2 medium nucs atop 2 deep nucs set side by side.  If I need a queen I pull one from one side or other of the nuc and then let them raise another.  I will also pull brood frames to boost other hives and to keep the size down.  The deeps (which I've had around but haven't used will be for maintaining the population, the mediums will be used for pulling frames for boosting.  I will have 5 hives plus my queen setup, any extra iIcome by I'll sell as that is as many as I want.
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Offline Cindi

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Re: Books on Raising Queens?
« Reply #7 on: February 16, 2008, 09:25:15 am »
Brian, I like that idea, but is it going to get difficult when you have to add any honey supers?  Have a great and awesome day, love our life we live.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline mlewis48

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Re: Books on Raising Queens?
« Reply #8 on: February 16, 2008, 09:08:05 pm »
  Thanks for the information. This is something that I have wanted to try for sometime but it really sounds complicated. I will read the info that was given and will try it. Go insearch of the books that were mentioned and read, read, read. This is something that will take time to get right. The money save by raising my own queens will be well worth the time spent let alone the knowledge gained. Michael Bush, thanks again for the information, it will help alot.
                                Marcus
" Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are gonna get"

Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: Books on Raising Queens?
« Reply #9 on: February 19, 2008, 11:44:43 pm »
Brian, I like that idea, but is it going to get difficult when you have to add any honey supers?  Have a great and awesome day, love our life we live.  Cindi

My queen set up will consist of 1 deep and 1 medium nuc set abutting the same identical setup.  2 nucs on 1 hive stand.  I will use the medium supers to pull brood and frames of bees from for boosting my other hives.  Each will have a queen I can use in another hive if it goes queenless.  By rotating the medium frames out and replacing them with empty frames there will be no need to super the queen nucs beyond what is the original setup.  I've already proved to myself that nucs can be overwintered that way having overwinter 2 2story medium framed nucs this winter.
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Offline TwT

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Re: Books on Raising Queens?
« Reply #10 on: February 20, 2008, 12:20:48 am »
the only queen rearing book I have is a very good book, it tell about different methods, suprised nobody mentioned it yet, it is a good book,

Rearing Queen Honey Bees
2nd Edition

Whether you are interested in raising a few or many queens, this book by Dr. Roger Morse is highly informative with step-by-step instruction. Soft cover 128 pages.
THAT's ME TO THE LEFT JUST 5 MONTHS FROM NOW!!!!!!!!

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Offline Cindi

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Re: Books on Raising Queens?
« Reply #11 on: February 20, 2008, 09:46:04 am »
Brian, your system sounds pretty darn good. But still a question, why a single entrance in the side by side nuc?  The reason is for robbing and protection?  Have a great, wonderful day, beautiful life.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: Books on Raising Queens?
« Reply #12 on: February 20, 2008, 11:06:05 pm »
Brian, your system sounds pretty darn good. But still a question, why a single entrance in the side by side nuc?  The reason is for robbing and protection?  Have a great, wonderful day, beautiful life.  Cindi
 

Actually I'm running it as if it were a double queen hive.
Life is a school.  What have you learned?   :brian:      The greatest danger to our society is apathy, vote in every election!

Offline KONASDAD

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Re: Books on Raising Queens?
« Reply #13 on: February 21, 2008, 11:18:39 am »
Brian, your system sounds pretty darn good. But still a question, why a single entrance in the side by side nuc?  The reason is for robbing and protection?  Have a great, wonderful day, beautiful life.  Cindi
 

Actually I'm running it as if it were a double queen hive.

Similar to the Danish Buckfast breeder article in ABJ this month if I am not mistaken.

Two "how to" questions.

1. How do you make and run a two queen hive? I would also presume a two queen hive would be super honey producer as well. At end of season just kill inferior queen for ovwerwintering I would imagine too.

2. Many articles suggest taking frames from various hives and combining them to make nuc and add a queen or queen cell fpr rasing, or as spring management to reduce swarming. Do the bees fight? If no, why not, there would be frames w/ attached nurse bees from numerous hives. Also, one hive would have returning foragers and they would also fight the other frames of bees???I was able to follow the article except for those two issues.
"The more complex the Mind, the Greater the need for the simplicity of Play".

Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: Books on Raising Queens?
« Reply #14 on: February 21, 2008, 10:42:42 pm »
Brian, your system sounds pretty darn good. But still a question, why a single entrance in the side by side nuc?  The reason is for robbing and protection?  Have a great, wonderful day, beautiful life.  Cindi
 

Actually I'm running it as if it were a double queen hive.

Similar to the Danish Buckfast breeder article in ABJ this month if I am not mistaken.

Two "how to" questions.

1. How do you make and run a two queen hive? I would also presume a two queen hive would be super honey producer as well. At end of season just kill inferior queen for ovwerwintering I would imagine too.

Or split it out if both queens are good.  For most 2 queen hives a screen board with entrance slots are used instead of a queen excluder.  Queens have been known to pass through excluders the screen prevents that.  In that configuration I would use 2 medium boxes for each queen.  The lower boxes are primarily a brood machine but care must be taken to prevent swarming from the lower box I wouldn't use a normal entrance for that but go bottomless (which is how I'm doing it).  Place a slatted rack below the divider screen then then 2 more medium boxes and another slatted rack for the second queen and use an excluder at that point.  The screen divider board usually has 4 door openings that are ajustable--hing in the center.  With the advent of screened bottom boards I would be more likely to use a reversable SBB instead of the divider screen.  The result is a hive that is as high as 4 deeps just for brood.  If you want to go for comb honey production (Ross Rounds or what ever) this is the way to do it.

Quote
2. Many articles suggest taking frames from various hives and combining them to make nuc and add a queen or queen cell fpr rasing, or as spring management to reduce swarming. Do the bees fight? If no, why not, there would be frames w/ attached nurse bees from numerous hives. Also, one hive would have returning foragers and they would also fight the other frames of bees???I was able to follow the article except for those two issues.

In making a split I often take 1 frame from 4 different hives and place each frame in a nuc box.  I then add a 5th undrawn frame to one side.  The nurse bees on the frames won't fight, too busy tending the brood.  If care is taken to insure that each brood frame is at a different stage of development the bess will unite in purpose, raise a queen from those frames that have eggs or larvae at the proper stage, and draw out the 5th frame.  You can keep the nuc at that size by pulling either frame 2 or 4 (counted from either side) and replacing it with an undrawn frame.  The frame of bees and brood can be placed "en toto" into any other hive in your bee yard that needs a boost (notice the arguement for uniformed size of equipment).  If a hive goes queenless just locate the frame from the nuc that has the queen on it and place it "en toto" into the queenless hive (upper brood box, 2nd frame in from either side) and the hive will except it.  Again replace the removed frame with an undrawn frame and the nuc will develop another queen.  The mating stock is every hive in your yard.

I hope that helps clear things up.
Life is a school.  What have you learned?   :brian:      The greatest danger to our society is apathy, vote in every election!

Offline mlewis48

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Re: Books on Raising Queens?
« Reply #15 on: February 22, 2008, 01:46:27 am »
 Twt,
 Thanks, I found that book on amazon.com and I am waiting for it to come to me. Can never have too many books.
 Brian,
  Thanks for the info. that cleared up a few questions that I had on a couple of issues. I have a few queens coming in the Spring and I wanted to make a few nucs from a few of my stronger hives. Now I can use half of the queens for a couple of my weaker hives and  start some nucs and let them raise their own queen. Use the rest of the queens for a split or two.
                                        Thanks,
                                         Marcus
" Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are gonna get"

Offline Cindi

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Re: Books on Raising Queens?
« Reply #16 on: February 22, 2008, 10:58:30 am »
Brian, I love your information that you impart, such a helping point of view....have a wonderful and great day, we be lovin' this life that is great.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline KONASDAD

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Re: Books on Raising Queens?
« Reply #17 on: February 22, 2008, 12:08:45 pm »
agreed. This step by step picture you painted just makes it easier. Thanx a milion.This would have taken me years to learn, now at least i have a "recipe" to follow and adjust for my personal needs and issues. Later, I will actually sketch in my note book your method so when I go out into the beeyard its easier and boosts confidence level. If you ever get any pics, that would be way cool too.
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Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Books on Raising Queens?
« Reply #18 on: February 22, 2008, 06:51:40 pm »
>1. How do you make and run a two queen hive? I would also presume a two queen hive would be super honey producer as well. At end of season just kill inferior queen for ovwerwintering I would imagine too.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beestwoqueenhive.htm

>2. Many articles suggest taking frames from various hives and combining them to make nuc and add a queen or queen cell fpr rasing, or as spring management to reduce swarming. Do the bees fight?

No.

> If no, why not

Because there if you get them from three or more hives there is too much confusion.

> there would be frames w/ attached nurse bees from numerous hives.

Excatly.  If they are from only two they might fight.  But from three or four they almost never do.

>Also, one hive would have returning foragers and they would also fight the other frames of bees???

I assume you mean you're putting it in the location of a previous hive?  I  have seen queens get balled in this way.
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