Requeening A Vicious Hive

[Countryboy]

I had a hive this summer that was hotter than I like working. (Understatement of the century.) I taped the process I used to requeen this hive to calm it down.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmmtjFgdqz8

While I gave the vicious hive a frame of eggs from a gentle hive to make a new queen with, you could also introduce a queen cell or a mated queen to requeen the hive.

This hive is in a fairly remote location, which is the only reason I requeened the hive instead of destroying it. The nearest house is a good 3/4 of a mile away. If people were in closer proximity to the hive, I would have killed the hive off instead of requeening it.

[brac]

Holy smokes, that's a wicked bad hive! Makes me fell really good about my ultra breeze jacket. Why would a hive that mean have 4 deep brood boxes?

[Countryboy]

Why would a hive that mean have 4 deep brood boxes?

It doesn't have 4 deep brood boxes. That hive has 4 deep boxes. That hive is running an open (unlimited) broodnest. The top deep boxes are being used as honey supers. I have a hive here at my house that is 5 deep boxes.

I do this for a few reasons.
1. I don't have enough medium and shallow boxes for honey supers for all the hives I have.
2. It's a good way to get more deep combs drawn out.
3. It's a good way to get use out of otherwise unused drawn combs. Boxes of drawn combs don't do you any good stored out in the barn.
4. I want to develop into nuc sales, and not just honey production. I can use deep frames of honey as feed for nucs.

[Brenda]

Yeah, I have a hive that I'm thinking of doing that to, or just waiting until it's freezing and dumping the all the bees out.
I've only wavered because she is a feral Illinois survivor queen.

[Laurence Hope]

Thanks for the video. I have two just like that one, and I will follow your lead.

[Joseph Clemens]

The last time I had one of my hives become that way (about three years ago), I caught and caged their queen (to add to my temporary -- queen zoo), then, early in the morning, just as the sun was coming up, I broke down the hive apportioning their resources to make up eight nucleus colonies, giving each one a fresh-harvested ripe queen cell from my queen cell builder nuc. It worked out very well.

That queen survived in my queen zoo for about another week -- I got to look at her a few more times during that week. She was a reminder to me that it is impossible to know what temperament a queens progeny will exhibit by the appearance of their queen. She looked just like any of my other queens. It would be nice if queens destined to raise ornery colonies would have some obvious traits linked to that possibility, like a red glowing thorax, or a sharp pungent odor, etc.

[BeeCurious]

I had a hive this summer that was hotter than I like working. (Understatement of the century.) I taped the process I used to requeen this hive to calm it down.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmmtjFgdqz8

That's a great video.

Thanks for taking the trouble to make it.

[toekneepea]

That was extremely informative.

Thank you for taking the time to video it for us.

Tony P.

[AndreiRN]

It would be nice if queens destined to raise ornery colonies would have some obvious traits linked to that possibility, like a red glowing thorax, or a sharp pungent odor, etc.

The agresivenes comes from the drones that mated her more then from her.
Is like a golden retriever mated with fighting pitbulls.
And the other way around.

[Countryboy]

Andrei,
If that is correct, then how do you explain why the offspring of a European queen mated with AHB drones will be gentler than the offspring of an AHB queen mated with European drones?
If the aggressiveness is caused more by the drones than by the queen, it should be the other way around.

I've no doubt that drones are a factor in progeny temperament, but I believe the queen's genetics for temperament may carry a little more weight.

[rocky1]

It is my understanding that drones contribute more to the genetics of behavior as well. But you do make an interesting point and in attempting to explain YOUR position...

In layman's terms... Since a drone develops from an unfertilized egg, a drone contributes genetic characteristics from only the queen he is reared from. A queen on the other hand having been raised from a fertilized egg, contributes genetic characteristics from both her mother and her father (or more essentially her mother and her father's mother). Dependent upon lineage of the two it is therefore highly probable that a Queen would contribute more weight, however that would be totally dependent upon her lineage, or more essentially her genetic diversity (or lack thereof).

Not saying you're wrong at all Countryboy, in fact if you go to Wikipedia and search Africanized Bees, then scroll down the page to "Queen management in African bee areas" it would appear you would be very much correct, before anyone tries to crucify him. Please note there is no documentation supporting that statement and Wikipedia articles can be contributed to by any member. However, I ain't beekeeping in Mexico, so I ain't arguing with whoever wrote it!

Loved the video dude!! Especially the hive tool test!! Got a good laugh out of that one. (o:?

Personally, I would have introduced a mated queen, just to be on the safe side, but in a migratory commercial operation you don't have time and often don't take a chance on growing a new queen in that fashion. We typically keep queens on hand much of the year, and anything that mean gets marked up and we requeen them when we have queens available.

Let us know how it works out. I'm sure it will be an improvement whatever the case!!

[Countryboy]

Let us know how it works out. I'm sure it will be an improvement whatever the case!!

I stopped by that yard last night since I was in the neighborhood. I parked my truck within 10 feet of the hive. I got out and walked around the hives, watching entrance activity, etc. I didn't wear a veil or jacket - wearing a t-shirt and jeans. The whole time I was there I only had one bee get ornery and try to sting me, but my hat persuaded her otherwise.

Before, as soon as I got out of the truck 100 feet away, I would instantly have a half dozen bees after me.

I would say that is a definite improvement. I can live with one bee pestering me when I am walking around several hives.

[KQ6AR]

Just watched the video. You did a good job making it, it's very educational.
Thanks,

[rkr]

Ditto what KQ6AR said!! Nice job editing and very informitive!

Thank you!!!!

[power napper]

Thank you for all the work and excellent editing of your video, you "Got Talent". The video is excellent for all beekeepers in my opinion.
Good job!