Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => REQUEENING & RAISING NEW QUEENS => Topic started by: KONASDAD on March 13, 2007, 11:55:55 am
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I have two hives . One is very strong, the other not so. I want to take a nuc from my strong hive to aid in swarm prevention. I want to add some new foundation(probably small cell) to this hive and replace these b/c I think they are too contaminated from the commercial beek I purchased hive from. In my weak hive I want to replace queen. My question is, I have never found the queen in my weak hive. When do I remove the queen before I install another(days/hrs etc)? And what do I put in my nuc (frames of brood, honey etc.)and how many days before i get queen do I do these manipulations for the nuc?
Lastly, I want to keep a queen and preserve her. Suggestions on how to do this. Thanx in advance.
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>I have never found the queen in my weak hive
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesqueenspotting.htm
>When do I remove the queen before I install another(days/hrs etc)?
Ideal is overnight. Not more than 24 hours on the outside. Not less than 2 hours on the inside. But overnight is what I have the best luck with.
> And what do I put in my nuc (frames of brood, honey etc.)
You can start a nuc with anywhere from one frame of brood and one frame of honey to three frames of brood and two frames of honey. The latter will build MUCH more quickly.
>and how many days before i get queen do I do these manipulations for the nuc?
If you are buying a queen to install, it's the same principle. Overnight will give them time to realize they are queenless.
>Lastly, I want to keep a queen and preserve her. Suggestions on how to do this.
A two frame nuc is nice. A five frame nuc will do. A cage with the queen and a few bees in a box with a screen and some candy that you water every day will work for quite a while if you put new bees in every week or so. A cage with candy and attendents will for for a week or so.
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As usaul Mb thanx. My queen preservation question was misunderstood. I want to preserve her forever. As a momento of my first queen. Perhaps to sit on my office desk so i have soemthing to look at other than my work files.
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Clear epoxy?