Reared a bunch of Queens this spring and with all the rain I seems like a bunch never got mated good. I thought they were out the second week after hatching but not sure. What is the max time after hatching that breeders have seen successful matings?
In other times they seems to fly the next week. Could three weeks be too much?
It's right on the boderline as to whether they will properly mate at three weeks past hatch. You might get one or two that will mate and lay ok, but most will be drone layers. But then you will also get a small percentage of queens that do mate during the first two weeks, that will also turn out to be drone layers. Out of 20 cells I bought in May, I had 3 disappear on mating flights, 17 that mated, of the 17 mated ones, I had one drone layer. She laid a small amount of worker brood, but the vast majority was drone brood.
"I reject your reality, and substitute my own." Adam Savage
I also tried to rear some queens in this spring's rainy weather. One has laid a lovely broodnest full of drone, but I did find a queen cell in it.
Is is safe to assume that she laid at least one fertilized egg, so I should leave the hive alone to supersede her? Or should I requeen the hive?
"Is is safe to assume that she laid at least one fertilized egg, so I should leave the hive alone to supersede her? Or should I requeen the hive?"
Requeen asap. The queencell will most likey be a drone.
"I reject your reality, and substitute my own." Adam Savage
Thanks peggjam. I'll see if I can find and dispatch that queen today, and put a nuc on the hive in the morning.
I appreciate your advice because I was leaning the other way figuring that the bees would not seal a nice queencell around a drone.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks