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Author Topic: Which way to release the queen?  (Read 8421 times)

Offline Dexterjc

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Which way to release the queen?
« on: March 01, 2011, 08:51:32 pm »
Just 32 day's until the bee's arrive  :-D. When it comes time to release the queen via the candy, which way do you face the opening? Up or down? A lot of the books say up because if one of the bee's in the cage die they will fall away from the opening. I have also heard a lot of folks argue that if faced downwards the queen will exit the cage toward the center of the hive, and that bee's will likely remove any dead bee's that may be blocking the entrance. So I guess it is a matter of personal choice, but I wanted to get a feel on how you all do it.


Offline hankdog1

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Re: Which way to release the queen?
« Reply #1 on: March 01, 2011, 09:17:48 pm »
Always did it facing down seems to be the easiest as most instructions with packages tells you that's the way to put them in.  Or you can just say the heck with it get a nuc and not worry about it.
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Offline iddee

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Re: Which way to release the queen?
« Reply #2 on: March 01, 2011, 11:19:34 pm »
Candy up.
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Offline Dexterjc

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Re: Which way to release the queen?
« Reply #3 on: March 01, 2011, 11:52:58 pm »
So far I have one vote for up and one for down.....I know about the saying if you ask 5 different beekeepers the same question you will get 7 different answers. I guess I just want to know if anyone does it for any other reason besides what has been listed so far. I want to make an educated decision.

Offline Kathyp

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Re: Which way to release the queen?
« Reply #4 on: March 02, 2011, 12:12:18 am »
i just stick it in there and if she's not out in a few days, i turn her loose.  haven't purchased a queen for awhile, but i think i did it candy down.  the cage had a tab on the top and i pinned that to the frame. 
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline brooksbeefarm

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Re: Which way to release the queen?
« Reply #5 on: March 02, 2011, 12:56:51 am »
Some beeks in our bee club say to release the attendant's in the queen cage before you put her in the hive,but if you make a mistake and release the queen you may be ordering another queen.I've always put the candy end up,never had a problem. Jack

Offline iddee

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Re: Which way to release the queen?
« Reply #6 on: March 02, 2011, 10:08:38 am »
If you check her after 3 or 4 days, it doesn't matter. I wait 7 days before I disturb them.

I know a breeder locally here that makes 6 to 8 hundred nucs annually. He just lays the queen cage on the bottom board, screen up.
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

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Offline Acebird

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Re: Which way to release the queen?
« Reply #7 on: March 02, 2011, 10:14:53 am »
Quote
I want to make an educated decision.

Statistically it doesn't matter.  People do it both ways and it still works.  Maybe you could lay it down sideways to get the other 5 answers you are looking for.
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Offline deknow

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Re: Which way to release the queen?
« Reply #8 on: March 02, 2011, 10:43:08 am »
Statistically?  There is 0% chance of an attendant dying and blocking the exit if the candy plug is facing up.  If there are attendants in the cage and the plug is facing down, there is a greater than 0% chance.  Horizontal is fine as well.

If you want to release the attendants (which I recommend for introduction unless you don't think you could catch a queen on a window and put her back in the cage if need be), use Michael Palmer's method.


deknow

Offline brooksbeefarm

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Re: Which way to release the queen?
« Reply #9 on: March 02, 2011, 11:51:42 am »
Take a frame, cut 4 inches. in the middle out of the topbar ,then make or cut another topbar so that it fits under the upper topbar and between the frame ends. This will give you a 4 in. gap to lay your queen cage with the screen up on top of the frame,you can place this frame under the hole of the inner cover.This way all you have to do to see if she has been released is raise the lid and look through the inner cover hole without disturbing the bees and eliminates the candy end up or down argument. :-D A long gone beekeeper friend of mine showed me this and i use it when making up nuc's or requeening.I'm sure it's not new, maybe someone out there knows how to show a picture of it. Jack

Offline Kathyp

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Re: Which way to release the queen?
« Reply #10 on: March 02, 2011, 12:33:17 pm »
or take a thin strip of duct tape.  attach duct tape to cage leaving a few inches of tape free (don't cover screen).  remove one frame.  put thumb tack through free end of tape into the middle frame.  hang cage, screen out, in space made by removing frame.  don't bother with attendants.  don't worry about candy.  check back in a few days and if queen is not released and they have accepted her, release.
the hardest part is knowing if they have accepted her.  if you have doubts, leave her caged.  i have forgotten queen cages and when i go back, she's fine.  they'll take care of her though the screen.
if you have to turn her lose, and it's one of those wood cages with the screen, just hold the cage low or between frames and peel the screen off.  don't mess with the corks or candy.

don't make simple jobs hard.  there are enough hard jobs that can't be made simple.  :-D
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline Robo

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Re: Which way to release the queen?
« Reply #11 on: March 02, 2011, 01:08:00 pm »
Take a frame, cut 4 inches. in the middle out of the topbar ,then make or cut another topbar so that it fits under the upper topbar and between the frame ends. This will give you a 4 in. gap to lay your queen cage with the screen up on top of the frame,you can place this frame under the hole of the inner cover.This way all you have to do to see if she has been released is raise the lid and look through the inner cover hole without disturbing the bees and eliminates the candy end up or down argument. :-D A long gone beekeeper friend of mine showed me this and i use it when making up nuc's or requeening.I'm sure it's not new, maybe someone out there knows how to show a picture of it. Jack



Or just release her when you install the package and be done with it :roll:
« Last Edit: March 02, 2011, 03:25:38 pm by Robo »
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Offline brooksbeefarm

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Re: Which way to release the queen?
« Reply #12 on: March 02, 2011, 02:32:16 pm »
Kathyp, That's also a way to do it, but when you remove the queen cage you may have to remove the burr comb from the empty space between the frames. :?

Robo, i don't think that would be a good idea (direct release) with queens costing $24.00 to 26.00 this year. Unless you have deep pockets. :-D Jack

Offline Kathyp

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Re: Which way to release the queen?
« Reply #13 on: March 02, 2011, 02:40:56 pm »
Quote
Kathyp, That's also a way to do it, but when you remove the queen cage you may have to remove the burr comb from the empty space between the frames

that's true.  no brood in it, though  ;)
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline ronwhite3030

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Re: Which way to release the queen?
« Reply #14 on: March 02, 2011, 02:56:59 pm »
I have always been told release with candy down in High climate area so that if the candy gets hot an drips it doesn't drip on the queen, and messes up her wings or kills her. But I haven't had bees in 7 years so they may have changed the candy they use and it no longer drips. so there is a reason for pointing it down.

Offline Robo

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Re: Which way to release the queen?
« Reply #15 on: March 02, 2011, 03:00:46 pm »
Robo, i don't think that would be a good idea (direct release) with queens costing $24.00 to 26.00 this year. Unless you have deep pockets. :-D Jack

Not so.   Many folks direct release queens.   After being confined in the package during transportation, the queen is no longer strange to the bees.

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


Now if your installing the package on the same say it is shook,  then it might not be the best.
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Offline Acebird

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Re: Which way to release the queen?
« Reply #16 on: March 02, 2011, 03:07:09 pm »
Quote
use Michael Palmer's method.

Yeah, that's what I'm gonna do. :roll:
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Offline BlueBee

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Re: Which way to release the queen?
« Reply #17 on: March 02, 2011, 03:34:18 pm »
How many $25 queens get lost between the car seats using that MP method?

I think I’ll listen to AceBird on this one.

I’ve done sideways releases and direct releases, both worked for me.

Offline brooksbeefarm

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Re: Which way to release the queen?
« Reply #18 on: March 02, 2011, 04:32:25 pm »
Robo, That's true, but it would depend on how long in transit. I've had package bees that took two days to get to me and the workers were biting and stinging the queen cage when i hived them the day i recieved them. Yes i have direct released them when things look right, but i wouldn't recommend it to a newbee. Jack

Offline Acebird

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Re: Which way to release the queen?
« Reply #19 on: March 02, 2011, 05:07:49 pm »
This confuses me.  I have never done a package but doesn't the trip give the bees time to get used to the queen?  Why would they bite and sting the cage?
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