Finding queens/ Splits

[sc-bee]

After looking for queens for two days --- I believe I try this method next. I ended up just splitting and waiting to go back to look for eggs.

Making Honey Bee Splits Quick and Easy.mov

Anyone use a shaker box. I can never find the queen when I need to  :-D

[iddee]

I find the queen 8 out of 10 inspections, or there abouts. I find eggs and look at that frame and the two on each side of it. Very seldom fails.

[hjon71]

I find the queen 8 out of 10 inspections, or there abouts. I find eggs and look at that frame and the two on each side of it. Very seldom fails.

:-D
Now that is a handy tip.
Common sense should have told me that but it never dawned on me. Pardon the new beeks :angel:

[sc-bee]

I find the queen 8 out of 10 inspections, or there abouts. I find eggs and look at that frame and the two on each side of it. Very seldom fails.

Don't work that way for me! Must be them NC Yankee Bees  :-D

I knew this approach but maybe I need to look closer. I even tried to divide and conquer. And the roar thing has never worked for me. Maybe I should not say never  ;)

[Jim134]

Don't work that way for me! Must be them NC Yankee Bees  :-D

X:X X:X



               BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

[iddee]

Maybe new glasses?   :evil:    :-D

[RHBee]

I catch the devil finding the queen too Steve. That's why I mark her if I do stumble upon her. Just ordered some Posco bright Orange/Yellow paint pens. I wanted a color scheme that stands out.

[GSF]

Ray I've read a lot about finding the queen so I scraped it all in one big pile. Recently it has worked very well for me. Number one, don't look for an individual bee. Glance over the crowd with two things in mind, a long bee and a solid color. Well, that would apply to my Italians, can't say much about the rest.

[rwlaw]

Mel Disselkoen taught me a good way. Take the first two frames out (I set em in a nuc box), look on the face of the exposed frame (hint, break the frames into 3rds, starting on the top 3rd first), sometimes you can catch her moving across the frame. Then seperate all the frames in the box,  that'll keep her isolated to one frame, once again taking the time to scan the exposed frame in the box. Don't take it for granted that she's on a frame of comb, I've found them on honey frames, running around on the bottom boards, huddled in a corner etc.
Still can't find her? Put a queen excluder on and come back in three days and look for eggs, at least you'll have only one box to go thru.
GSF, you got it bout right, I look for the bee that's hauling the carrot around  :-D

[RHBee]

Steve, BTW I like the video. Looks easy.

[sc-bee]

Steve, BTW I like the video. Looks easy.

Would be a time saver for me, since my days are limited due to still working, I am not retired, and my bees are not as co-operative as NC YANKEE BEES  :evil: :-D Downside would be moving the honey supers twice.... I guess?

[johng]

I'm pretty sure that's how a lot of commercial guys do their splits. They don't have time to go looking through hundreds of hives looking for queens.

[rbinhood]

When your first pull the frame make a quick scan around the edges of the frame on each side, if you don't see her there then start looking toward the middle of the frame. If you don't find her around the edge it makes it easier to spot her in the middle, most of the time the nurse bees and workers will move out of her way as she moves across the inner parts of the frame making her easier to spot.

[GSF]

another tip I use that I forgot to mention is look for the one who's wings seem short. That kinda goes along with the carrot hauling. She looks like she grabbed the wrong jacket when she left the house.

[BeeMaster2]

Also look for a circle of bees. If you have not disturbed them too much, she will have a royal court.
I find that the hardest time to find her is while she is laying an egg. Then you are looking for what looks like a spider. Her legs are all spread out.
Jim

[RHBee]

Steve,
It just dawned on me that this method could be used to transfer frames for equalizing purposes without fear of transferring the queen. Thanks again. Nurse bees are readily accepted by other colonies. Looks like I need to buy a few queen excluders.

[sc-bee]

Steve,
It just dawned on me that this method could be used to transfer frames for equalizing purposes without fear of transferring the queen. Thanks again. Nurse bees are readily accepted by other colonies. Looks like I need to buy a few queen excluders.

Good Point.... takes alot of the labor out. I am all for that  :-D

[KD4MOJ]

Also look for a circle of bees.

That's what I also do. I find it easier to look at the whole frame and watch for the circle movement.

...DOUG

[Michael Bush]

I do walk away splits and come back in a month and see how they are doing...