>I was wondering how many clip there queens wings.

I don't do it often, but sometimes if I have a queen I'm attached to I will.

>I still do this due to losing queens on opening the hive and being clumsy from my arthritis.

I've had enough of them fly on me, I probably should.

> I have been told by other keepers that I am ruining the queen and that she runs a higher chance of supercedure or being killed.

I've never noticed any difference.

>I just do one side about 1/2 of.

Same here.

But I've never seen it stop them from swarming. It will buy you some time if you're paying attention and see that they are trying to.

 

Question,the times you have a queend fly,how often do they return to the hive?
I split a hive last summer and upon the inspection to find out if I had a laying queen,I pulled a frame and she ran from one side to the other and took flight.Landed on my shoe of all places.I was able to pick her up but she flew again about 20 feet away,that time I was more careful and did put her back into the hive.What were my chances of her returning on her own?For future reference..
Thanks.

 

I was chasing a virgin this fall and she flew off twice within about 15 minutes and both times she returned. Finally caught her the 3rd time.

Dunno if this is normal, it's the only time I had a queen fly on me.

 

If the hive happens to be the one that she flew from to make her mating flights, then its 80% or better that she will return to her colony. If however, she was introduced to the colony, then its about 100% that she will not return to it. The only exception to this would be if it is the only colony in an area in which case, she might find her way back.

 

Ive had several mated queens fly from the mating nucs. Just place the top back on, move to the next nuc & return later. 9 of 10 times the mated queen will return back to the hive.

 

Your best bet if a queen flys is to stay right where you are. She will orient on you. I've had them land on my veil, my hand, my arm and sometimes back in the hive, if I just leave the lid off and stay there. After about ten minutes or so I give up and figure she probably went back and I didn't see her.

 

George: Sorry to be a little imature but what you said made me laugh!!!

 

>what you said made me laugh!!!

Laugh as often as you can Chef. Best medicine there is, even at my expense

I just reread it. It could be misintepreted. When correctly viewed, everything is lewd

 

I have a question,
Elementary as it might be.

I'm OK at finding a queen in a hive, but everyone will agree that finding a marked queen is easier than finding an unmarked queen.

I was wondering if it would work the same to clip my queen, rather than mark her. I've never successfully marked a queen (don't know as I would be any luckier clipping her), but just thought that if I clipped her I would be able to find her easier as she'd only have half a wing.

What is anyone else's experience on this? Does the clipping make her any easier to spot? Is clipping any easier than marking?

--Jon D.

 

>Does the clipping make her any easier to spot?

A little, but not as much as marking.

>Is clipping any easier than marking?

No.