Welcome, Guest

Author Topic: adding a queen to a hive  (Read 4766 times)

Offline syphon1

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 13
  • Gender: Male
adding a queen to a hive
« on: May 14, 2012, 01:55:55 am »
If you had a hive whose queen was not quite up to your standards, is there a way to add a second mated queen to help with the laying?  That is without killing the original queen?

Offline Michael Bush

  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 19832
  • Gender: Male
    • bushfarms.com
Re: adding a queen to a hive
« Reply #1 on: May 14, 2012, 02:37:10 am »
Not reliably.  You need to remove the old queen to get them to accept the new one.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
-------------------
"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Offline adamant

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 345
  • Gender: Male
Re: adding a queen to a hive
« Reply #2 on: May 14, 2012, 07:00:33 am »
Not reliably.  You need to remove the old queen to get them to accept the new one.

is it like adding a queen to a package? (place the queen box in the hive for a day or to so they get a chance to know her?) then release her?

Offline Michael Bush

  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 19832
  • Gender: Male
    • bushfarms.com
Re: adding a queen to a hive
« Reply #3 on: May 14, 2012, 08:12:58 am »
Bees in a package are looking for and needing a queen.  Bees with a queen are not looking for a new queen and are not needing a queen and will kill a queen if you introduce her.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
-------------------
"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Offline Nate

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 61
  • Gender: Male
Re: adding a queen to a hive
« Reply #4 on: May 14, 2012, 08:33:32 am »
Even if you place the queen in a cage to introduce her, they'll kill her if another queen is already there, except when they don't.

Offline adamant

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 345
  • Gender: Male
Re: adding a queen to a hive
« Reply #5 on: May 14, 2012, 08:59:40 am »
Bees in a package are looking for and needing a queen.  Bees with a queen are not looking for a new queen and are not needing a queen and will kill a queen if you introduce her.

So I would have to kill tHe queen and introduce a new queen first? I to do that I would do it as I would be installing one in a package?

Offline Michael Bush

  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 19832
  • Gender: Male
    • bushfarms.com
Re: adding a queen to a hive
« Reply #6 on: May 14, 2012, 09:05:48 am »
>So I would have to kill tHe queen and introduce a new queen first?

If you want any decent chance of success, yes.

>I to do that I would do it as I would be installing one in a package?

If I was installing one in a package I would direct release her.  If I was introducing one to a hive whose queen I just removed, I would wait until overnight and do a candy release.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfaqs.htm#requeening
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
-------------------
"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Offline syphon1

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 13
  • Gender: Male
Re: adding a queen to a hive
« Reply #7 on: May 14, 2012, 09:28:04 am »
I was at a beekeeping school a couple of days ago(this was a private affair,  sponsored by a commercial beekeeper for costumers who buy bees from him.)   He told us he does not requeen hives.  If a hive is not up to par he will add a mated queen.

The way he does this is by driving the bees out of the hive with a fume board,  spraying the bees with a very strong mixture of vanilla and water, then spray the queen he is adding too.  He then places the queen into the cluster just above the entrance.  remove the fumeboard and the bees will return to the hive with the added queen.

Offline Michael Bush

  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 19832
  • Gender: Male
    • bushfarms.com
Re: adding a queen to a hive
« Reply #8 on: May 15, 2012, 03:08:19 am »
I've often just added a queen cell... and that usually works fine.  But that is a virgin queen who emerges into the hive.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
-------------------
"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Offline Jim134

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 3047
  • Gender: Male
    • Franklin County Beekeepers Association
Re: adding a queen to a hive
« Reply #9 on: May 15, 2012, 05:45:22 am »
Michael Bush

 I do know a mated Queen will not kill a developing Queens but will a mated Queen kill a a virgin Queen?? or will a virgin Queen kill a mated Queen ??



   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/

 

anything