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Author Topic: Trouble with introducing carniolans?  (Read 2347 times)

Offline Caelansbees

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Trouble with introducing carniolans?
« on: May 15, 2013, 12:20:35 am »
Seems that after four days I should not open access to the candy plug on these queens still. Going from all Italian packages that I am requeening.  Seems almost as difficult as introducing a Russian.  All colonies are agitated towards their new queen with the occasional giving her nourishment. This is displayed in all except for one which they removed my tape over the candy and made their way into the cage to kill the queen... This is after four days.  24 hrs queenless prior to that.  Have swept all for cells today as well.

Offline Joe D

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Re: Trouble with introducing carniolans?
« Reply #1 on: May 15, 2013, 12:36:54 am »
You must have my kind of luck.  Checked hives, found one that was queenless.  Called a local beek that I usually get queens from.  Got over there we went threw several of his little nuc's that he has queens in.  Finally got one, brought her home, put her in the hive.  Did check to see if hey were going to ball her, or try to kill her.  they were fine, came back in a couple days the queen was released.  Came back six days latter, couldn't find queen or any brood.  Good luck to you and your bees.




Joe

Offline BlueBee

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Re: Trouble with introducing carniolans?
« Reply #2 on: May 15, 2013, 01:39:42 am »
I haven’t had problems introducing carni’s to Italian nucs in the past, but that was only once, with 6 queens. 

Why are you trying to change queens so soon?  Maybe I missed something.  Are your packages hot or something?

Offline Finski

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Re: Trouble with introducing carniolans?
« Reply #3 on: May 15, 2013, 03:26:48 am »
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I have noticed that if a queen is young, about 1 week or 2 from mating, hives are not willing to accept a new queen. But if you offer 4 weeks layed queen at same time, bees accept it in very different way.
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Offline Caelansbees

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Re: Trouble with introducing carniolans?
« Reply #4 on: May 15, 2013, 04:46:18 pm »
in short.  I'm tired of italians eating me out of house and home.  also i have had nothing but hot queens from GA in the past...  split them off and out of main yard.  they are still around in another yard but I am moving away from the italians in the future...

Offline RHBee

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Re: Trouble with introducing carniolans?
« Reply #5 on: May 15, 2013, 10:31:40 pm »
From what I've read bees are very race conscious. A carniolan introduction wouldn't be any different than a russian when requeening an italian colony.
I'd follow those guidelines.
Later,
Ray

Offline Grandpa Jim

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Re: Trouble with introducing carniolans?
« Reply #6 on: May 16, 2013, 11:21:24 am »
Seems of late many packages kill or replace their queen shortly after installing them.  Very frustrating for new keepers and old to see their new queen gone after laying just a small patch of eggs and bees making queen cells with them.  The package is set back and sometimes lost.

 Could Finski's observations help explain this?  Obviously package queen producers are rushed in the spring trying to meet orders and most likely are harvesting queens on the first egg (or sooner), not after several weeks of laying for sure.  I am sure they are pushed to meet orders as beekeepers can be impatient waiting for their spring packages.
Jim

Offline Finski

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Re: Trouble with introducing carniolans?
« Reply #7 on: May 16, 2013, 01:36:44 pm »
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It is trange that package bees do not accept a queen. It sounds like they have allready.

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Offline Caelansbees

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Re: Trouble with introducing carniolans?
« Reply #8 on: May 16, 2013, 05:51:59 pm »
my packages had a beautiful laying Italian in them.  for the lat month they were great.  I had just decided earlier in the year that I would split the queens out and replace them with carniolan from stock coming from anywhere but the southern US. 

I have yet to have a package not accept a queen.  especially the queen they come with.  although I have heard of a lot of peopel having propblems with queens this year.  seems they were throwing lots of immature queens into packages...

oh well, today is day 6 that the queens have been in the hive.  i will go rip down any queen cells today and then remove the tape from over the candy tomorrow. 

Offline Finski

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Re: Trouble with introducing carniolans?
« Reply #9 on: May 17, 2013, 04:59:42 am »
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6 days is too long time to keep in the cage.

One possibility is that you join bees to the package which is going ok.
It gets a real burst from bees which fill the whole box.

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Offline Caelansbees

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Re: Trouble with introducing carniolans?
« Reply #10 on: May 17, 2013, 04:48:36 pm »
ripped down tons of queen cells yesterday and pulled tape from tubes.  almost all candy is gone as of this morning... we will find out how they like those queens now. 

i agree 6 days seemed like a long time, but a few days ago there was no question that they were going to kill those queens. 

 

anything