Best way to release queen

limyw · September 15, 2007, 11:07:18 AM

I normally catch queen for 20 days to eliminate varrao mite, in view here we don't have winter for queen to stop laying. But my problem is each time I would loss 20-30% of queen because they got killed by workers after releasing from catch. Any suggestion to minimise such problem?

Michael Bush · September 15, 2007, 11:14:00 AM

A push in cage is hard to beat. But works best with a frame of emerging brood which you won't have in that hive 20 days later.

Are you keeping the queen in the hive? And that same hive is killing her?

Many things have been done over the last century and a half or so to help. Smoke. Push in cage. Honey on the queen. IMO the push in cage is the best. It gives the queen a chance to start laying again.

TwT · September 15, 2007, 11:19:20 AM

thats the best thing IMHO, you can use a push in cage and leave the queen in the hive, you just have to watch for cells because they could think the queen is failing and replace her, watch for cells a couple weeks after you release her because she will probably take some time to get back to laying...

limyw · September 15, 2007, 11:21:34 AM

Yes, the queen is kept within the same hive when catched. I don't know what is push in catch, could anybody show the pic?

Michael Bush · September 15, 2007, 03:48:02 PM

http://www.honeyflowfarm.com/beeproject/images/puchincagelarge.jpg

limyw · September 16, 2007, 03:43:22 AM

From the pic, it seems that the queen is confined alone, could the workers free to enter through the mesh for caring larva etc? Would the queen still lay egg inside it?

Robo · September 16, 2007, 07:30:21 AM

Quote from: limyw on September 16, 2007, 03:43:22 AM
From the pic, it seems that the queen is confined alone, could the workers free to enter through the mesh for caring larva etc?

No, the workers do not have access, that would defeat the purpose of keeping them separated until the queen was accepted.

HOWEVER, in your case, making a small cage out of queen excluder material might work better. It would restrict the queen from laying to one small area, and she would not have to be re-introduced to the hive as the bees would have continued access to her. You could then simply release her and remove the frame with little brood she has laid in the caged area.

You would have to keep an eye out for queen cells as Ted mentioned, but I'm sure you have to do that with your method today.

Quote
Would the queen still lay egg inside it?

Yes, that is also part of the method. By letting the queen start to lay before the workers have access to her, the probability of acceptance is higher.

randydrivesabus · September 16, 2007, 08:30:03 AM

i don't want to hijack this thread but do you experienced guys think this is a good way to control varroa?

Cindi · September 16, 2007, 12:02:57 PM

I really like the idea of the push in cage and there will be a time when I need to introduce queens to nucs I will make next year. I am going to carry forth with this grand idea. Best of this awesome day. Cindi

Michael Bush · September 16, 2007, 12:10:32 PM

>Would the queen still lay egg inside it?

Yes, but not eough to amount to anything as far as Varroa.

>i don't want to hijack this thread but do you experienced guys think this is a good way to control varroa?

Assuming you need help handling Varroa, it will make a dent and if timed correctly (two weeks before the main flow) will actually make you more honey as there is less brood to care for and more bees to harvest the flow.

limyw · September 17, 2007, 11:56:24 AM

By terminating varroa life cycle, the varrao count can be reduced to a vary minimum number and that will help you to have more healthy bee....more honey....etc. For Randy, do you think using chemical to treat is better? As beekeeper, we can't avoid, to certain extent, to manipulate or control bee, like using queen excluder, feeding, cut away drone cell, tear off queen cell, etc.