Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => REQUEENING & RAISING NEW QUEENS => Topic started by: Zippo on February 18, 2007, 10:51:11 am

Title: Where should I keep the queens? (48 hours outside the hive)
Post by: Zippo on February 18, 2007, 10:51:11 am

Hello!

  Finally, tomorrow I will find two queens, catch and take them off 48 hours (in order to a better level of larva accpetability)! But I have a doubt, where should I keep the queens? When should I re-introduce them (I planning to re-introduce them 48 hours after the "cath", or 24 hours after the frame (with 20 queencells, larva inside) intodruction!

If the topic have any gramatical or word error...sorry!

Title: Re: Where should I keep the queens? (24/48 hours outside the hive)
Post by: Kirk-o on February 18, 2007, 10:59:25 am

I'm not sure why you aer taking them out???
kirk-o

Title: Re: Where should I keep the queens? (24/48 hours outside the hive)
Post by: Michael Bush on February 18, 2007, 11:34:18 am

The best place to keep bees is in a nuc.  A two frame nuc is about minimum. I have a lot of those.  A frame of brood with the queen and a frame of honey and you can keep them there indefinitely if you don't let them swarm.

Why are you removing them again?

It's much easier to give good advice to people if, instead of "hopelessly lost" or nothing you actually have something that gives a clue to your climate, such as Northern California, or Southern Mississippi, or Central New York.  That sometimes gives us a clue whether to point out that it's a bad idea this time of year or not.

Title: Re: Where should I keep the queens? (48 hours outside the hive)
Post by: Zippo on February 18, 2007, 12:17:21 pm

I am from Portugal! Here the Spring as just (early) began...+- two weeks ago!.. I just correct the "hours" 24 to 48. I Just wanna have the rearing queen hive, orphan about 48 hours, and I didn't know "how" and "Where" should I keep the two queen bees, in order to assure the bee queens food, water..etc. Why? -> It's a well-known pratice in Portugal:

  1. - Make an orphan hive for about 48 hours;
  2. - 24 hours after the begining of "orphanity", introduce a frame with queencells and grafted larvae;
  3. - 48 hours after(the begining of orphanity) re-introduce the queen...

 - But you have to own a strong colony with two boxes, and when you re-introduce the queen, you have to put between boxes a queen excluder.

With this method you simulated a swarm or substitute queen, at a very low cost. Many beekeepers use this method, with great results! 

I cannot explain myself very well. My written english is no so good.

Title: Re: Where should I keep the queens? (48 hours outside the hive)
Post by: Michael Bush on February 18, 2007, 03:36:02 pm

I'd put a frame of brood and the queen and a frame of honey in a two frame nuc.  Your other choice is to catch her, cage her with several attendants and some bee candy in a dark quiet place until you want to reintroduce them.  But she will be better taken care of in the nuc.

Title: Re: Where should I keep the queens? (48 hours outside the hive)
Post by: TwT on February 19, 2007, 11:29:02 am

I would put her in a queen cage and leave her in the hive, all you are wanting to do is stop brood production for a few days, it will keep them from starting queen cells and they want think they are queenless.....

Title: Re: Where should I keep the queens? (48 hours outside the hive)
Post by: Michael Bush on February 19, 2007, 04:33:42 pm

>it will keep them from starting queen cells

But that's what he wants them to do...

Title: Re: Where should I keep the queens? (48 hours outside the hive)
Post by: TwT on February 19, 2007, 08:24:58 pm

Quote from: Michael Bush on February 19, 2007, 04:33:42 pm

>it will keep them from starting queen cells

But that's what he wants them to do...

aw, I miss read the post, thought he just want to stop rearing for mite controll, stupid me, I must have been thinking of another post, miss this completely....

Title: Re: Where should I keep the queens? (48 hours outside the hive)
Post by: Zippo on February 22, 2007, 05:42:44 am

I have put the queen in a two frame nucs, like you said, Michael! I am introducing the queen tomorrow. Everything goes wonderful...but the weather :( Yesterday was suuny and warm, today cloudy and raining. The orphan hive only accept 8 of mine 20 queen cells with larvae, the other 12, they just take or eat the larvae.. but that's very fine! 40% success.. I hope.

;)

Thank you all,

               Zippo!!