My bad?

1969 Views 7 Replies 6 Participants Last post by BEES4U, Apr 19, 2010

BeeTex

Discussion Starter · Apr 19, 2010

I caught wild swarm, found the queen and pinched her and put a purchased queen with them (in a queen cage with candy plug). Opened the hive a week later and the queen was out of the cage, but they apparently killed her because she is not there. Was this a bad idea to requeen this soon after capturing a swarm?

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concrete-bees

· #2 · Apr 19, 2010

wow ......wow....wow.... who gave you that idea ????

why on earth would you pinch a swarmed queen???

she is a survivor queen - made to produce great numbers and you pinched her ??? BAD on you

a swarm queen is worth WAY more then a bought queen ---

maybe im wrong but every swarm ive ever got is STILL alive and doing fine

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Beeslave

· #3 · Apr 19, 2010

How long after killing the queen did you place the new queen in? It may have helped if you would not have given them access to the candy for 3 or more days and waited at least 1 day after killing old queen before placing new queen in the hive. A frame of open brood helps some also.

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Beeslave

· #4 · Apr 19, 2010

concrete-bees said:
why on earth would you pinch a swarmed queen???

she is a survivor queen -

a swarm queen is worth WAY more then a bought queen ---

Just because she swarmed doesn't make her a survivor. I get a good chuckle everytime someone says they caught a swarm it must be a survivor. A swarm will find a home and be pretty free of varroa the first year because of the brood cycle break. Many will fail from mites the following year because they originally came from someone not using resistant stock. The last 2 yrs. have been bad swarm years for some commercial guys I know and myself(cold then rainy then no flow when populations are high).

Plenty of migratories out there that push there bees for population. She could have came from the almonds. She could be from some crappy swarm happy russian stock. She could have africinized genetics. A swarm queen usually is an old queen. Good for drawing foundation but beyond that I think he made a decision based on the fear of africinized genetics.

<<<a swarm queen is worth WAY more then a bought queen --- I've got a bunch of queens in hives that I knocked down that were ready to swarm out of the almonds. I'll ship them to you for $25.00 a piece shipping included. 100 ct shipment

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concrete-bees

· #5 · Apr 19, 2010

very true Beeslave -- my bad !!!! -

in my area most swarms are from ferels that are in the local homes that they dont want removed - some have been there for 10+ years - and cast large swarms every year

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throrope

· #6 · Apr 19, 2010

I hear tell of two types of swarms. One where the queen leaves with her entourage. The other when the hive throws one with virgin or just emerged queens.

The second can swarm with multiple queens that later duke it out. My first hive swarmed twice within a week. No way the second one had a laying queen. That one became my second hive.

You may have pinched one of multiple virgin queens. If so, the swarm may have given your purchase the same care given to Marie Antoinette.

Since the swarm was free, I'd wait and see. No sense putting good money after bad.

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honeyman46408

· #7 · Apr 19, 2010

Since the swarm was free, I'd wait and see. No sense putting good money after bad.

I could never understand the idea of requeening a swarm untill you see how it is going to bee

opcorn:

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BEES4U

· #8 · Apr 19, 2010

You have the right idea about replacing the queen, if neccessary.
You just have to get the timing done. Let a swarm settle down for at least 14 days.
A nice prime swarm should be headed by an older queen and if she is older she will fail at the worst time durring all or spring build up.
Ernie

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