From: "deelusbybeekeeper" <deelusbybeekeeper@excelonline.com>
Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2001 07:53:37 -0700
To: <BiologicalBeekeeping@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: Size of queen cells??

Hi to all on Biological Beekeeping

Micky wrote:

> The rescued bees allowed their queens to lay for one day, dispatched her
> and have begun building supercedure cells. It has been my custom to
> remove the smaller cells, saving the larger ones. This was done
> believing that "runt" queens would be inferior.

Reply:

Different races/ strains build different types of queen cells in
configuration and size. When, beekeepers go into a colony and start tearing
down cells, not knowing the difference between the races, then they
recklessly select for *what is said* to be, queens and bees that only fit
their management style* and not the local geographical area

Early on this was a good way to get rid of smaller darker queens i.e.
caucasian, small A. mm as Italian i.e. yellow hybrid mixes are always larger
cells. Larger cells with queens fit bigger artificial combs better and govs
pushed it in conjunction with their breeding programs and taught same. After
awhile I think (My POV) the teaching becomes fact rather than reality.

> Now, in the first stage of regression, would there be an advantage in
> saving smaller cells, or would the queens from them be inferior?

Reply:

First of all, Nature does not cull queens. They emerge and fight it out, if
more than one emerges at the same time, or the first one out kills the rest
off, unless the bees themselves keep one back in reserve (they have been
known to do this protected).

Many beekeepers nowadays kill what I call teardrop clustered queen cells,
handing like little grapes in from the sides of the frames and more
centered. They then keep the bigger queen cells near the bottom or sides or
one big cell hanging buy itself.

One by itself could be supercedure, so okay, let it bee! Cells on the bottom
of the frame are normally more Italian, that in center with teardrops more
caucasian & A.mm and that mooning the top of the frame more carnica. LIke
fish spawning and going home to where the heat is best to propagate.

Leave the queen cells alone and let the bees select Micky, would be what we
would do in the field.Watch and see which way your bees want to go to
survive. You'd be surprised at how knowledgeable they are for wanting to
live. Then after following the patterning over a few years of what the bees
themselves want, breed accordingly, following Nature. This is the way also,
to gain varroa and trachael mite resistant stock. Who is man to say he can
breed better than the creator? Not me! We try to always follow the
patterning of the bees at the very least. That is way we are only now
getting back to grafting/divides in the field (since 1997 when we shook
down). We had to see what the bees themselves wanted to do and learn from
them.

Sincerely,

Dee