should I off the queen?

gmcharlie · March 15, 2009, 08:52:20 PM

I love this forum, been beeking for years, and just found this site....... much better than pestering the locals for thoughts.... much wider views......

To my quandry..... I have one hive that started late last summer, and did very poorly on buildup.... made it thru the winter fine, but it was my worst hive... barely filled a good deep........ queen was spotty at best, but by the time I realized it it was to late to requeen...... now here we are in spring, and shes still lousy.... just checked all my hives today, and her hive has about 2 square inches of brood (yes shes there I found her easy) she barely keeping up with die off....... I am pondering just offing her and giving them some fress brood/egs from a good queen.... it will be a bit more than a month before I can get any replacment queens....(unless someone has them now that I don't know about)........

figuring in my head I have nothing to lose by offing her, and a cpl weeks to gain

BjornBee · March 15, 2009, 08:55:45 PM

I would think that it's a bit early for queens flying and mating. Yes, it will be a couple weeks till she would be flying, but I know I have less than ideal weather for good mating even the first week or two in April.

gmcharlie · March 15, 2009, 09:07:08 PM

agreed, but if I off her this week and give them some new brood from good queen, it will be 3 weeks before mateing flights...... and my other hives have drone comb already..... I am trying to see a down side...... if no new queens are formed I could combine the ones left with another hive....

BjornBee · March 15, 2009, 09:14:50 PM

Maybe it is warmer where you are. I don't know. I may consider grafting in three weeks. But I know it probably will not be consistently above 6-65 at that time. And that is what you need for quality mating.

Three week from now puts you about the 5th of April. Way too early for mating around here.

Kathyp · March 15, 2009, 10:21:38 PM

make sure you save her in some alcohol. :-)

Irwin · March 16, 2009, 09:58:22 AM

Quote from: kathyp on March 15, 2009, 10:21:38 PM
make sure you save her in some alcohol. :-)

What kind there is so many at the liquor store :-D

Kathyp · March 16, 2009, 11:16:01 AM

cheep stuff to preserve her. save the expensive stuff to preserve you!!

Irwin · March 16, 2009, 11:50:21 AM

OK

gmcharlie · March 16, 2009, 11:56:17 AM

how did my post obaout offing aqueen get turned into a liquor discussion???? *S*

Why in the heck would I want to preserve her anyway??????

Irwin · March 16, 2009, 12:13:50 PM

Quote from: gmcharlie on March 16, 2009, 11:56:17 AM
how did my post obaout offing aqueen get turned into a liquor discussion???? *S*

Why in the heck would I want to preserve her anyway??????

1-Relax just having some fun :-D

2-To have some thing to look at and show people :cheer:

Kathyp · March 16, 2009, 12:16:37 PM

look on michael bush's site under feral bees, then the bottom of the page about catching swarms. it's about making swarm lures.

Shawn · March 16, 2009, 01:56:53 PM

Kathy, Ive tried finding the "feral bees" on Michael's site but seem to be missing it. Ahh, never mind just found it.

Scadsobees · March 16, 2009, 02:01:31 PM

I thought that you put her in the liquor to sedate her before the execution. :roll:

Most of my queens end up with a pin through their thorax in a graveyard of various and sundry beautiful and scary insects that my sons collect. :) Theirs is always the only collection with a queen bee, queen hornet, queen yellowjacket, etc. One of them even had a mating pair of bumblebees still connected in death. :shock:

Rick

Kathyp · March 16, 2009, 02:04:09 PM

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesferal.htm

bottom of the page. bait hives.