Queens for Comb Honey

[Jerry J]

As different hives produce different levels of Quality Comb Honey. Even Sister Queens with open matings differ. Could it be the Drones?
Do you guys that produce a lot of Comb Honey keep a different line of queens with the purpose of producing Top Quality Comb Honey or do you just take what comes and use strong hives?
I see a lot of Comb Honey that I would be ashamed to claim or put my Name on. A lot of it should go into the decapping tank. I have been keeping Splits or Nucs from last years top Queen.
Thanks for any Answers Jerry Kern

[bleta12]

This year I had over 100 colonies producing only comb honey, the Killion method, lots of work. That requires re queening with queen cells that come from proven mothers, good comb builders.
Like with everything else in beekeeping there are no guaranties, but I have had very good results with Killion method.
The colonies that are not producing well are switch to producing liquid honey, those supers are given to the producing hives.

Gilman


As different hives produce different levels of Quality Comb Honey. Even Sister Queens with open matings differ. Could it be the Drones?
Do you guys that produce a lot of Comb Honey keep a different line of queens with the purpose of producing Top Quality Comb Honey or do you just take what comes and use strong hives?
I see a lot of Comb Honey that I would be ashamed to claim or put my Name on. A lot of it should go into the decapping tank. I have been keeping Splits or Nucs from last years top Queen.
Thanks for any Answers Jerry Kern

[RayMarler]

Recommended reading for hive management for those people doing comb honey production...

A Year's work in an Out-Apiary by Doolittle.


Made an impression on me and I'm going to incorporate some of the techniques next year. :D

[Southern Bee]

I love old books! Where did you find yours Ray? On Amazon its $129 a little too pricy for me.

[RayMarler]

I love old books! Where did you find yours Ray? On Amazon its $129 a little too pricy for me.

I got mine at wicwas press...

http://www.wicwas.com/paypal/shop.html

I got these 4 books for a total of $85 delivered...

Bee Sex Essentials by Larry Conner
Increase Essentials by Larry Conner
Fifty Years Among the Bees by C. C. Miller
A Year's Work in an Out-Apiary by Doolittle

I've not been able to find Doolittle's Scientific Queen Rearing by G. M. Doolittle, but there is a digital copy posted on Michael Bush's website, where he has 8? classic books for beekeeping, most dealing with Queen Rearing...http://www.bushfarms.com/beesoldbooks.htm
Mr. Bush also has a link there to Cornell University where they have an online digital library of 30 classic beekeeping books for your viewing pleasure!