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Author Topic: Requeened  (Read 4202 times)

Offline Kris^

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Requeened
« on: May 11, 2005, 11:52:26 pm »
Yesterday I ordered a new queen for my "problem" hive from Draper's, and they said it would arrive on Thursday or Friday, depending on when they got it out.  So I called the post office this morning about 7:30 to let them know it would be arriving, and they said, "it's here all ready!"  So that kinda quickly rescheduled my day.    :roll:

Before putting her into the hive, I did another thorough inspection.  Still no sign of the queen.  She emerged from her cell 16 or 17 days ago, and I actually saw her on May 1st, but still no eggs.  Just empty cells.  All that was there was very young brood from the frame of eggs I placed in the hive on Sunday.  So I feel pretty confident she's gone, for whatever reason, and felt safe introducing the new queen.  I attached a piece of thin strapping to the queen cage and placed it on the hive floor in the middle of the brood box, with the strap coming out the entrance.  I watched how the colony reacted to her and, well, they didn't attack the cage or seem aggressive toward her, for whatever that's worth.  I'll pull the cage out this weekend to see if she's been released, then let them alone for another week or so.

I was kinda surprised how putting the frame of eggs in the hive this past weekend seemed to have woken the hive up.  They'd been rather lethargic the past week or two, not flying as much as would be expected from the population in the box, and not bothering to draw comb.  Well, they became more active earlier this week and actually started drawing comb in the upper box.  Just from a few hundred eggs put in their box!  They started acting normal.  Must've given them some purpose in life . . .

Oh, and by the way -- this queen came in with a yellow dot on her back.  

-- Kris

Offline Finsky

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Re: Requeened
« Reply #1 on: May 12, 2005, 12:19:34 am »
Quote from: Kris^

 I watched how the colony reacted to her and, well, they didn't attack the cage or seem aggressive toward her, for whatever that's worth.  I'll pull the cage out this weekend to see if she's been released, then let them alone for another week or so.

I was kinda surprised how putting the frame of eggs in the hive this past weekend seemed to have woken the hive up.  
-- Kris


Well done!  It is very important  to verify aggressions before you offer the queen.

Egg frame is also important. If they have no queen, they start to build queen cells next day. If nothing happens, there may be virgin queen.

Offline Kris^

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Re: Requeened
« Reply #2 on: May 12, 2005, 12:41:35 am »
Quote from: Finsky

 Egg frame is also important. If they have no queen, they start to build queen cells next day. If nothing happens, there may be virgin queen.


But how long can a queen remain virgin before she's of no value to the colony?  Is it possible for a queen to still be a virgin 17 days after emerging from her cell and still become a viable (and reliable) layer?

-- Kris

Offline Finsky

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Re: Requeened
« Reply #3 on: May 12, 2005, 09:32:28 am »
Quote from: Kris^


But how long can a queen remain virgin before she's of no value to the colony?  Is it possible for a queen to still be a virgin 17 days after emerging from her cell and still become a viable (and reliable) layer?

-- Kris


After 3-4 weeks many of queens unsucseed to fertilize. If you have over 20C temperatures  by day she will be mated. But you see, if they start to build queen cells.  Queen  can be violated in many ways. Also emergency queen may be so little tha you do not notice it.

Offline Robo

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Re: Requeened
« Reply #4 on: May 12, 2005, 10:18:06 am »
Quote from: Finsky
Also emergency queen may be so little tha you do not notice it.


Good point Finsky.

Kris, you have now experienced the unpredictability of using methods of splitting that require "emergency" queens to be produced.  The chance of failure/set back are much higher than when using quality queens.  Instead of growing and becoming strong, your hive has been fighting to survive.  
 
There is nothing wrong with raising your own queens, I just find producing queens the "emergency" way to be more dissapointing than using methods that allow you to control the age and selection of eggs.  Only having a few hives seems amplify the disappointment, at least for me.
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline thegolfpsycho

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Requeened
« Reply #5 on: May 12, 2005, 12:06:24 pm »
I think Kris has learned alot and this was a good excersize for her.  Shes's made major manipulations with an advanced goal in mind.  She's seen the setback when the queen ends up in the wrong side of the split, recognized it and took the steps to fix it.  Learned the importance of making the split going on to the flow, and reorganzed her plan.  She doesnt just have bees in her yard, she's becoming a beekeeper.

Offline Kris^

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Requeened
« Reply #6 on: May 13, 2005, 08:55:56 am »
Awww . . . . . shucks . . . . .  :oops:

I do think this whole debacle was caused by my initial mistake in putting the queen into the wrong split.  As a result, the emergency queen was created from already hatched and developing larvae.  The one time I saw her she was small and scrawny, but clearly different than all the other bees in the hive -- a queen.  Just not a very good one, I guess.

It has been a learning experience!   :lol:

-- Kris

 

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