Ok, so I did some splits on 4/3 and this weather hasn't really been ideal for inspecting. Lots of wind, cool days, etc. I did my math and hopefully during the mating flight period my virgins were able to get out, mate and make it back safe in the hive. I am hoping to check this weekend for laying queens but am also concerned about Laying Workers. Nothing to do about that now, but my concern stems from the fact that I never inspected those splits for cells or virgins. Time and weather just never worked in my favor. This weekend will ease or confirm my concerns. I know by adding a frame of brood each week I could have eased my fears but I didn't do that. So my question is: Could I have prevented a laying worker by using queen pheromone while I waited for my virgin to hatch and mate? Or would that have disrupted the entire process? My splits were made with eggs/larva, no queen cells.
Preventing Laying Workers with Queen Pheromone While Waiting for new Queen to Mate?
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Just put in a frame of eggs/brood if your worried about laying workers, its the brood pheromones that prevent laying workers from happening, not to mention they can make a queen cell and if the virgin gets eaten in flight then the colony has a back up, if she gets mated the cell gets torn down.
>Preventing Laying Workers with Queen Pheromone While Waiting for new Queen to Mate?
Queen Pheromone will not suppress laying workers. Open worker brood pheromones will.
http://www.bushfarms.com/beeslayingworkers.htm#pheromones
Queen Pheromone will not suppress laying workers. Open worker brood pheromones will.
http://www.bushfarms.com/beeslayingworkers.htm#pheromones
Ok thanks. I was trying to avoid having to open the hive to add a frame of brood during the entire process from egg to egg ( egg to mated laying queen ) which seems could take up to 33 days after split. Ideally, I guess I would like to be able to do a walk away split in a yard, not come back to inspect for at least a month, and not have to worry about laying workers if something happens to the virgin. Is there some sort of slow release brood pheromone you could hang in the hive just for reassurance purposes that will last for that amount of time (33 days)?
If you add the queen pheromone, you won't get queen cells.
You will be fine, meaning you don't need to worry about laying workers during the first round. You can add a frame of brood when you check for eggs. Make sure you mark the frame, so you don't get confused.
You will be fine, meaning you don't need to worry about laying workers during the first round. You can add a frame of brood when you check for eggs. Make sure you mark the frame, so you don't get confused.
>If you add the queen pheromone, you won't get queen cells.
merince is correct. Lack of queen pheromones is the cause of them building and finishing queen cells.
merince is correct. Lack of queen pheromones is the cause of them building and finishing queen cells.
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