Spring Queen Production

**BEES4U** · 03-05-2009, 06:27 PM

I have been supering my over-wintered doubles that contain the frames of brood and bees for the 1st round of open mated queens.
I have been feeding pollen patties and cane sugar syrup.
The first queens will be ready for caging about 4/15/09
Ernie

**greenbeekeeping** · 03-05-2009, 07:01 PM

I can't wait till I can start grafting. Hopefully next year there will be no cold for me. haha.

**tecumseh** · 03-06-2009, 04:27 AM

got my first graft in the box and I will install the first of these today mosly in baby nuc bodies. I should have done my first grafted a week to 10 days earlier but we had a bit of a cold snap pass thru. with a bit of luck and good mating weather I should have the first set of queens come on line the last week of march.

this year one of my prime things to learn is to focus on some form of shb trap for the baby nucs. these VERY weak units must be especially easy prey.

**BEES4U** · 03-06-2009, 07:03 AM

Good Luck with your 1st round of queens.
I could have started grafting in Feb. But, experience has tought me to hold off for some latter settled mating weather when the drones are mature.
Do you have any photos of your nucs?
Ernie

**BEES4U** · 03-06-2009, 07:05 AM

When do you think that you can do your 1st grafting for 2009?
Ernie

**bleta12** · 03-06-2009, 07:09 AM

I start grafting some time in the second half of May, time when we start to see our first swarms.

Gilman

**JBJ** · 03-06-2009, 11:53 AM

Ernie, sounds like you are a couple weeks ahead of us in the great white North. Snow in the hills this morning. We usually have our first ripe cells on or around April 1 and first shipments about April 30 plus or minus a few days depending on the weather. Simultaneous pear pollination and queen ramp up make April exceedingly busy around here.

Keep up the good work and best wishes on the mating conditions.