Welcome, Guest

Author Topic: Fighting Queens  (Read 17166 times)

Offline Bee Happy

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 1656
  • Gender: Male
  • that's me - setting a phoenix free
Re: Fighting Queens
« Reply #20 on: February 14, 2011, 11:19:59 am »
we may have to wait and see what hardwood posts as results - it would be hard to find out without a side by side comparison in the same season.
be happy and make others happy.

Offline ArmucheeBee

  • Field Bee
  • ***
  • Posts: 514
  • Gender: Male
Re: Fighting Queens
« Reply #21 on: February 14, 2011, 08:35:11 pm »
Jim

Two questions:   

1st:  That is 2-Q right?
2nd:  Do you have a problem with rain going down beside the supers?

BeeHappy
You may not need a side by side to compare, if this was your only.  With experience you know how much the avg hive at your home brings in.  If this set up does not produce more than twice the amount of two seperate hives then it's not worth the trouble.  But that said, you really need more than just this setup in your apiary, for emergencies.
Stephen Stewart
2nd Grade Teacher

"You don't need a license to drive a sandwich."  SpongeBob Squarepants

Offline Jim134

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 3047
  • Gender: Male
    • Franklin County Beekeepers Association
Re: Fighting Queens
« Reply #22 on: February 14, 2011, 09:40:55 pm »
<1st:  That is 2-Q right?>

Yes on 2 Queens
<2nd:  Do you have a problem with rain going down beside the supers?>

I do not know
  The only 2 Queen hives I have use is the one using the Snellgrove Board.


  http://www.50000bees.com/?p=10

  BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
"Tell me and I'll forget,show me and I may  remember,involve me and I'll understand"
        Chinese Proverb

"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways."
 John F. Kennedy
Franklin County Beekeepers Association MA. http://www.franklinmabeekeepers.org/

Offline ArmucheeBee

  • Field Bee
  • ***
  • Posts: 514
  • Gender: Male
Re: Fighting Queens
« Reply #23 on: February 14, 2011, 09:57:25 pm »
Jim

So if you use the Snellgroove broad do you have it so the bees bringing in honey can not go down to the queen areas or do you keep both the top and bottom entrances on the Snell open at the same time?
Stephen Stewart
2nd Grade Teacher

"You don't need a license to drive a sandwich."  SpongeBob Squarepants

Offline Bee Happy

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 1656
  • Gender: Male
  • that's me - setting a phoenix free
Re: Fighting Queens
« Reply #24 on: February 14, 2011, 11:49:22 pm »
Jim

BeeHappy
You may not need a side by side to compare, if this was your only.  With experience you know how much the avg hive at your home brings in.  If this set up does not produce more than twice the amount of two seperate hives then it's not worth the trouble.  But that said, you really need more than just this setup in your apiary, for emergencies.

That's fair, I'm just figuring that if the final count is within a few pounds that it could easily be attributed to a slight variation within the season.
be happy and make others happy.

Offline Jim134

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 3047
  • Gender: Male
    • Franklin County Beekeepers Association
Re: Fighting Queens
« Reply #25 on: February 15, 2011, 07:17:35 am »

Jim

So if you use the Snellgroove broad do you have it so the bees bringing in honey can not go down to the queen areas or do you keep both the top and bottom entrances on the Snell open at the same time?

1 hive  is on top and 1 hive as on the bottom
The reason I use a 2 Queen hive is for (Comb Honey section boxes)to get more bees in to the Supers it work well for me.

   
"Tell me and I'll forget,show me and I may  remember,involve me and I'll understand"
        Chinese Proverb

"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways."
 John F. Kennedy
Franklin County Beekeepers Association MA. http://www.franklinmabeekeepers.org/

Offline Acebird

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 8110
  • Gender: Male
  • Just do it
Re: Fighting Queens
« Reply #26 on: February 15, 2011, 09:28:02 am »
Quote
If this set up does not produce more than twice the amount of two seperate hives then it's not worth the trouble.

I would think that if the numbers were that good the commercial beeks would use nothing but this system.
Brian Cardinal
Just do it

Offline WPG

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 93
  • Gender: Male
  • The Land Between Two Rivers
Re: Fighting Queens
« Reply #27 on: February 15, 2011, 03:32:35 pm »
I would think that if the numbers were that good the commercial beeks would use nothing but this system.

How do you come up with that conclusion from the quote you gave?

Why do you infer 'if the commercial guys don't do it it's not worth doing'?

Push, Pull or get Out of the Way

Offline Acebird

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 8110
  • Gender: Male
  • Just do it
Re: Fighting Queens
« Reply #28 on: February 15, 2011, 03:54:22 pm »
Quote
How do you come up with that conclusion from the quote you gave?

Did I misread the quoted phrase?  If you can get twice as much honey using one method vs. another wouldn't you go that way as a commercial beek that sells honey?

Quote
Why do you infer 'if the commercial guys don't do it it's not worth doing'?

I didn't infer that at all.  If I inferred anything it is the disbelief that the yields would be so favorable for a tower set up.
Brian Cardinal
Just do it

Offline WPG

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 93
  • Gender: Male
  • The Land Between Two Rivers
Re: Fighting Queens
« Reply #29 on: February 15, 2011, 06:48:47 pm »
Did I misread the quoted phrase?

Yep. You sure did

Quote
  If you can get twice as much honey using one method vs. another....?

That's not what was said.
Noone has said you could get twice as much.

Go back and read it slowly one word at a time.

You'll get it eventually.
Push, Pull or get Out of the Way

Offline hardwood

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 3482
  • Gender: Male
  • Alysian Apiaries youtube.com/MrBeedude
Re: Fighting Queens
« Reply #30 on: February 15, 2011, 07:34:07 pm »
 :-D
"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Offline Acebird

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 8110
  • Gender: Male
  • Just do it
Re: Fighting Queens
« Reply #31 on: February 15, 2011, 09:12:59 pm »
Quote
If this set up does not produce more than twice the amount of two seperate hives then it's not worth the trouble.

This is a quote is it not?  Maybe you should read a little slower.
Brian Cardinal
Just do it

Offline WPG

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 93
  • Gender: Male
  • The Land Between Two Rivers
Re: Fighting Queens
« Reply #32 on: February 15, 2011, 11:00:45 pm »
Ok, you win.

I'm probably re-asking a question, but does it measurably increase production over 2 separate hives. (I can imagine how it would create full supers faster, but I'm talking overall net increase)

Armucheebee was responding to 2 different posts by Bee Happy, but twisted his words up a little and didn't proof his rough draft.
I knew what he meant, I think everyone else (but you) did too.

Do you really think Armucheebee meant:


If 1-hive .........................................produces 150lbs
2-separate hives ..............................produce   300lbs total

then a 2-queen tower hive needs to ....produce   600+lbs

or it isn't worth it?

If it produced just 50lbs more it would be worth it for me.
I like the idea of packing in the comb honey supers quickly.

It might actually be less work than Killion's way of comb honey  production.
Push, Pull or get Out of the Way

Offline Bee Happy

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 1656
  • Gender: Male
  • that's me - setting a phoenix free
Re: Fighting Queens
« Reply #33 on: February 16, 2011, 04:28:38 am »
I'm gonna take back what I said about having side by side comparisons too - last year was my second beekeeping year and the first time I had any significant amount of honey; I had 2 hives  "the same" (they started out the same and as far as I could tell had similar strength in numbers) One hive filled and capped a super a week for four weeks - the other hive filled and capped 2.  Without a bee counter at the doorstep and who knows how many other factors. Outside of the little experience I had, I had no way of knowing a difference between them.
be happy and make others happy.

Offline Acebird

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 8110
  • Gender: Male
  • Just do it
Re: Fighting Queens
« Reply #34 on: February 16, 2011, 09:37:57 am »
Quote
Do you really think Armucheebee meant:


If 1-hive .........................................produces 150lbs
2-separate hives ..............................produce   300lbs total

then a 2-queen tower hive needs to ....produce   600+lbs

or it isn't worth it?

Yes I did.  I am on a learning curve so if something is misspoken and it doesn't make sense to me I am going to question it.  And even if it isn't misspoken I am bound to question.

So would you expect a greater yield from a tower set up?  Is there other documented advantages to a tower set up other than removing drone brood?
Brian Cardinal
Just do it

Offline Jim134

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 3047
  • Gender: Male
    • Franklin County Beekeepers Association
Re: Fighting Queens
« Reply #35 on: February 16, 2011, 08:22:12 pm »
I would think that if the numbers were that good the commercial beeks would use nothing but this system.

  I see you have not keep bees commercial  :roll:


   BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
"Tell me and I'll forget,show me and I may  remember,involve me and I'll understand"
        Chinese Proverb

"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways."
 John F. Kennedy
Franklin County Beekeepers Association MA. http://www.franklinmabeekeepers.org/

Offline ArmucheeBee

  • Field Bee
  • ***
  • Posts: 514
  • Gender: Male
Re: Fighting Queens
« Reply #36 on: February 16, 2011, 10:13:57 pm »
I'm so mixed up after reading all this I'm not sure what I said....but what I meant is:

 if two single queen hives; hive A makes 50 lbs, hive B makes 50 lbs, and then hive C is a two-queen setup it should make more than 100 lbs for it to be equal and above the yield of two single queen hives. 

they take a little more care and time so "worth" means time and work load for me.  a two Q hive would need to make more than what two single Q hives would produce for me to feel like it was worth MY time.

I would bet the commercial keepers would not want to fool with the maintainence and transport of a two-queen hives--is that right?

I hope this doesn't cause more angst! :mrgreen:
Stephen Stewart
2nd Grade Teacher

"You don't need a license to drive a sandwich."  SpongeBob Squarepants

Offline Jim134

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 3047
  • Gender: Male
    • Franklin County Beekeepers Association
Re: Fighting Queens
« Reply #37 on: February 17, 2011, 06:59:18 am »

I would bet the commercial keepers would not want to fool with the maintainence and transport of a two-queen hives--is that right?

   Commercial Beekeepers  do not have the TIME fool with or maintainence  two-queen hives.


          BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
"Tell me and I'll forget,show me and I may  remember,involve me and I'll understand"
        Chinese Proverb

"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways."
 John F. Kennedy
Franklin County Beekeepers Association MA. http://www.franklinmabeekeepers.org/

Offline Acebird

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 8110
  • Gender: Male
  • Just do it
Re: Fighting Queens
« Reply #38 on: February 17, 2011, 09:22:48 am »
Quote
Commercial Beekeepers  do not have the TIME fool with or maintainence  two-queen hives.

Can you elaborate on that please.  What I am seeing of a two queen hive (tower) is it is actually two separate hives with one common section that are all supers.  If something is common than that should mean there is less equipment involved.  I am obviously missing something here.

Brian Cardinal
Just do it

Offline ArmucheeBee

  • Field Bee
  • ***
  • Posts: 514
  • Gender: Male
Re: Fighting Queens
« Reply #39 on: February 17, 2011, 10:01:51 pm »
but many comm. keepers move their hives during the year.  so having that setup would be difficult to move and if you unsupered them you would have queenless bees in those supers as they were moved.  i have not kept bees comm. but I can see lots of issues arising from the 2-Q setup that I can only imagine.  single stacked hives can be put on a pallet neatly and hauled off in a few minutes--time is money.
Stephen Stewart
2nd Grade Teacher

"You don't need a license to drive a sandwich."  SpongeBob Squarepants

 

anything