Joined
·
31 Posts
I talked to a queen supplier today about ordering a queen because our hive is very strong and we were planning a split. He asked if I needed another queen to requeen the main hive. I was planning on requeening every other year, as suggested in many of the beekeeping books. He suggested I requeen every year and gave a few reasons. Everything he said made good sense but it seems a bit unnecessary considering how well our queen is doing. We've only inspected the hive once so far this year but from what we've seen she looks like she has plenty of vitality left. At only $15, the money isn't any issue for a hobbyist but it doesn't make sense to get rid of a good queen only to take our chances on the next one. It seems like the old "grass is always greener..." scenario. Should I requeen every year? Should I stick with the one I have as long as she still looks like the egg-laying machine she appears to be? If I don't requeen now should I do it this fall or next spring? We're planning another inspection this weekend, weather permitting. Obviously we'll be looking hard at the amount of eggs and brood we find. Any thoughts?