[zekethebeek1972]

I live in southwest Va, northwest NC area, in the foothills of the blue ridge mountains. This is my first year as a bee keeper. Anyone have a general timeline pertaining to drone eradication? Wanting to requeen 3 of my colonies, but noticed a drone being killed on the landing board of one if my nucs last week. I'm afraid that my colonies may bee drone-less before they can rear new queens and those queens take their nuptial flights. Anyone with any advice on August/September queen rearing in my area?

 

[Wolfer]

I'm not in your area so take accordingly. Our first frost is around Oct 15. I've had queens born the first week of Sept that overwintered just fine.
My personal cutoff for building nucs is around the first of Aug. Even these will need considerable help to be ready for winter. I.E. a frame or two of capped brood and honey/pollen and feed.

In an existing hive that's already established its not too late here assuming she gets back from her mating flights. You probably only have one shot.

 

[Honey-4-All]

Is there an objection to purchasing a few mated ones? If you order some, pinch heads, and toss in the new ones in the next month or so I can not see why you shouldn't succeed.

 

[Bees In Miami]

As a first year beek, why do you need to requeen 3 colonies? How many colonies do you have, and why do you feel the need to requeen? You can buy mated queens...but again, back to my original questions.

 

[zekethebeek1972]

I'm requeening the colonies because (a) to break the mite cycle, (b) one of them has very gentle and strong characteristics and I would like to use her for expansion, and (c) one of them will be starting her 3rd season.

 

[sqkcrk]

No, not too late to requeen where you live.

 

[zekethebeek1972]

Tks sqkcrk. In response to the earlier questions, we (its a family endeavor) have 4 full colonies, 2 splits, and 4 nucs, with one VSH nuc that we keep for an emergency queen and harvest brood from to start new nucs.

 

[zekethebeek1972]

So is it safe to assume that the onset of cold weather triggers the colony to banish their drones, not the end of the last nectar flow?

 

[sqkcrk]

I have seen drones in colonies in November. So, it isn't necessarily safe to assume anything.

 

[mathesonequip]

zeke..these are one and the same, cold weather, first frost and end of flow.

 

[zekethebeek1972]

I appreciate all of your responses. In our area the last nectar flow ended several weeks ago, but we wont have our first frost for another 6 weeks, typically. So while end of flow/cold weather/first frost are relative, they dont necessarily over lap. Safer to draw from your hands on experience than printed theories. Tks again to all of you.

 

[Honey-4-All]

If you do re-queen with purchased ones make sure you are dumping the feed on them during the introduction period if not prior to. Happy and well fed bees tend to love new queens at a higher rate than grumpy stressed out hungry ones...

 

[zekethebeek1972]

Sounds like great advice. Will surely do so. Tks.

 

[zekethebeek1972]

Used purchased queens with 3 of our nucs and it never occurred to me yo do that, as it was in the middle of our sourwood flow. Will definitely remember do that next time.

 

[Wolfer]

I have seen drones in colonies in November. So, it isn't necessarily safe to assume anything.

When talking bees one should always clarify with, it could, maybe, it's possible, might not etc.

 

[Michael B]

Plenty of time to raise queens. If you choose to graft and raise your own just feed like crazy to get heally well fed queens. The drone eviction could be a response to a dearth. Queens overwinter best with thier own daugters. So a few rounds of brood before winter is best.

 

[sqkcrk]

When talking bees one should always clarify with, it could, maybe, it's possible, might not etc.

Definitely.