[bevy's honeybees]

I pulled 2 frames of open and sealed brood, pollen and nectar on the frames too, and took out the queen because she was failing. She had 2 really good years and this spring is doing lousy. Well she's in the freezer now. I got her in a queen catcher and put her in the freezer and will add to queen juice. Remaining hive combined with another hive.

So, does anyone else do this? If bees start queen cells with the open brood, will it be a strong queen because mother queen once was? I'm feeding straight honey in pint jar on top of nuk, enclosed in an empty nuk. No robbing so far, I'm watching closely. The jar holes are a bit larger than syrup feeder lids. I have honey that got spilled that I'm using for feed.
Thanks.

 

[Michael Bush]

> I got her in a queen catcher and put her in the freezer and will add to queen juice.

Just drop her in the queen juice. Instant death instead of freezing to death.

 

[RayMarler]

It sounds like the genetics are good. If there is good numbers of bees in the hive with stores of nectar and pollen coming in, it should be a great daughter. A well fed virgin from inferior stock is much better than a poorly fed virgin from good stock.

 

[indianajeff]

What is queen juice?

 

[bevy's honeybees]

Thanks guys! Michael, I started with the freezer way because my cousin (long time beekeeper out in NorCal) says he does it that way and thinks it's pain free. I have lost a couple queens, meaning they escaped from me, when I tried moving them out of a queen clip to other places. Once or twice was to alcohol bowl, while I was out in the yard. One while trying to put her in a one frame observation hive, and one other time don't remember circumstances.

My queen juice is a small bottle, but I could do the same, bring her inside where I wont lose her, drop catcher into alcohol and then put her in the small jar with other queens.

Queen juice is used in bait hives. Collect all queens that are being replaced and put them in an ounce or two of rubbing alcohol. When putting bait hive together, dip a q-tip into juice for queen pheromone and other end with lemon grass oil.

Thanks Ray, that's encouraging. Will post my results.