[woodyard]

Any info that I should be aware of about introducing and maintaining an II breeder queen. I was wondering about what size colony should I shoot for to keep her in.

I already know that I don't want her close to any mating nucs,for fear of a virgin getting mixed up on returning from a mating flight and getting in the wrong hive.

Anything special about introducing her to a colony.

My first II queen and I don't want to mess it up. Too costly to blow it.

 

[Broke-T]

I introduced 2 Sat before last. I start mine in a weak 3 frame nuc populated with young bees. I use a push-in cage over emerging brood and a few cells of honey. After 4 or 5 days check for acceptance and release if everything looks OK. As she starts to lay I add more capped brood to build up to a 10 frame deep body. As she fills this up I add an excluder and a super so they have somewhere to put honey. This keeps them choking the brood chamber with honey.

I check it every week for supercedure cells. Some never have any and others have a cpl every week even though she is laying great. I have had some last into the 3rd year and others don't make it thru the first summer. Once I quit grafting in July I quit checking for cells and usually loose them.

Johnny

 

[Michael Bush]

I would use a push in cage on a queen I had much money invested in her.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesdoolittle.htm#ValuableQueen
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfaqs.htm#pushincage
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesqueenrearingsimplified.htm#pushincage
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesbetterqueens.htm#The Push-in-the-Comb Cage

 

[ruthiesbees]

what's a II queen?

 

[sqkcrk]

I I, instrumentally inseminated

 

[WilliamsHoneyBees]

I keep all mine in 5 frame nucs that have about 2 to 3 frames of brood in it at any given time. Late summer I give them a 5 frame deep super on top and winter them the same as I do the rest of my nucs.

 

[woodyard]

Thanks gentlemen! This is the info I was wanting.

 

[kilocharlie]

Get her laying eggs ASAP. Most of your problems will go away. Search Beesource for a special type of push-in cage called a Laidlaw cage. It is the best for introducing mated and I.I. queens to a foreign hive.

Also, get and use a queen muff for handling her. You really don't her flying away.