Remove the queen to a nuc, then when you have a laying queen in the colony pinch the old queen and join them together. Having a backup queen saves many colonies that would be lost if the new virgin fails to mate and return to lay. Is there a reason you plan to requeen with cells instead of with mated queens?
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I hear you on the money part, dfortune. I'm wanting to do the same thing and use a specific colony of mine for the queen cells. The donor colony is gentle and has made honey the last two years. Last year was close to 110# but this year it looks like it will be a bit lighter harvest (excess rain?). I've got a strong colony beside it that always keeps a large population of bees but has yet to give me a surplus...this is my oldest hive, it has had it's chance. :waiting: I'm thinking about splitting the non-productive hive in two, remove the queen, and give both of them cells from the productive colony. I've got another hive that is just existing...making a little surplus and fair population, but I haven't gotten much honey at all from it in the last two years...I want to requeen it with one of the productive hive's cells, too.
I'm curious about when, after harvest, would be a good time to attempt to get the bees to draw the cells and the virgins to get mated...? After the flow during the dearth?...I can feed, no problem there. Or wait until the fall flow of goldenrod and aster?...seems that would be getting a little late in regards to drones.
I'm looking at either the cell-punch or cut-comb techniques for the queens and will probably use that older, high-population, low honey production colony to do the raising the queen cells from the donated larvae. dfortune, how are you going to raise your queen cells? Btw, I'm up the road a piece from you, north of Opp in Luverne, off of US331.
This will be completely out of my comfort/knowledge zone...but gotta figure this out sooner or later!
Ed
I'm curious about when, after harvest, would be a good time to attempt to get the bees to draw the cells and the virgins to get mated...? After the flow during the dearth?...I can feed, no problem there. Or wait until the fall flow of goldenrod and aster?...seems that would be getting a little late in regards to drones.
I'm looking at either the cell-punch or cut-comb techniques for the queens and will probably use that older, high-population, low honey production colony to do the raising the queen cells from the donated larvae. dfortune, how are you going to raise your queen cells? Btw, I'm up the road a piece from you, north of Opp in Luverne, off of US331.
This will be completely out of my comfort/knowledge zone...but gotta figure this out sooner or later!
Ed
That's the best kind. Make a few trial runs. Moving brood frames above an excluder will start cells without a major shakeup of the hive. It may not be as reliable or productive as famous methods but there is very little investment for the practice. Try them all including grafting. Who knows your practice runs may make some good queens. You will be better each time.This will be completely out of my comfort/knowledge zone...but gotta figure this out sooner or later!
Ed
Thanks.
I already limited my expectations... it's more realistic in my 2nd year. I'm still very dazed and confused.
I'm not really from Sibiu city, but from Sibiu as county. I work in the city though.
I already limited my expectations... it's more realistic in my 2nd year. I'm still very dazed and confused
.I'm not really from Sibiu city, but from Sibiu as county. I work in the city though.
I guess I'll start by crawling and then see if I can stand up and run.
I'm getting excited about the prospects of getting some nucs started from my best hive. Yesterday, I hobbled together a frame to for starting the queen cells on...2-1/4" vertical space in one section and 2-1/8" in the other one...I hope that's enough room for the queen cells to hang from.Thanks for the encouragement, Salty.
Ed
Michael, this last bit of exchange is pure gold!!! This knowledge will make re-queening so much easier. I really don't have but one hive currently that I want to requeen, but it will definitely get a couple of cells when the times come and the old queen can disappear into obscurity.
The idea that this is kind of like a supercedure is very helpful...a pseudo supercedure. Thanks for sharing this and noting the point that the old queen is there for backup in the event the virgin ends up as mockingbird food on one of her mating flights.
Thanks again!
Ed
The idea that this is kind of like a supercedure is very helpful...a pseudo supercedure. Thanks for sharing this and noting the point that the old queen is there for backup in the event the virgin ends up as mockingbird food on one of her mating flights.
Thanks again!
Ed
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