Cage queen for more honey

IndianaBrown · July 13, 2007, 01:19:41 AM

Here is a thread and link about a Russian idea about running a queenless hive to gather honey.

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php?topic=6176.0

Roughly, the idea is to shake out queenless bunch of bees, place them near a nectar source in a box with comb, wait a month or so for the bees to die, then harvest the honey. I'm not sure if I like the idea, but if you have a very strong hive and don't want to do a split for an increase it may be worth a try.

Understudy · July 14, 2007, 08:34:22 AM

Please read:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beessplits.htm

It deals with splits but it also discusses splits for honey production.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

rdy-b · July 15, 2007, 02:38:31 AM

Timing is every thing many a bump in the road between hear and there ;) Go for the honey RDY-B

rdy-b · July 15, 2007, 02:54:01 AM

http://www.somersetbeekeepers.org.uk/Taking%20an%20artificial%20swarm%20(Broadband).htmhttp://www.somersetbeekeepers.org.uk/Taking%20an%20artificial%20swarm%20(modem).htm

rdy-b · July 15, 2007, 02:57:20 AM

http://www.somersetbeekeepers.org.uk/Taking%20an%20artificial%20swarm%20(Broadband).htm

JP · July 15, 2007, 06:44:48 AM

Appreciate you finding that link Rdy-b, that's some good information, very clear and loved his lil model hive. The video makes it look so easy.

Brian D. Bray · July 15, 2007, 10:39:15 PM

By caging the queen the effect on the hive is to become honey bound. If you want the hive to grow after the queen is released it is still necessary to give the queen room to do so. That requires supering and building comb for egg laying.

Why not just skip the caging part and just super. After all, the more comb the more brood the more workers for foraging which makes more honey. Reducing the amount of brood to care for will not necessarily force the younger nurse bees into becoming foragers any sooner. In fact the more bees in the hive the faster they will become foragers.

thegolfpsycho · July 15, 2007, 11:37:29 PM

If you can time it about 10 days to 2 weeks before the flow starts, you can increase harvest significantly. REmember. It takes a frame of honey, and a frame of pollen, to make a frame of bees. IF you are all close readers of M Bush website, what do you think he is describing when he talks about a cutdown split? No brood for a month. Same principle. My flow is over here in pretty short order. I will be pulling it in about 2 to 3 weeks. Then nothing of significance for a long time.(about 7 months) If I leave the honey spread out all over, a mess of half drawn frames, uncured nectar, and I will be feeding welfare bees just to get them to winter, let alone through it. I take mine, squeeze em up, make some late splits and feed them, and try to lightly monitor them going into winter. I don't worry much about them until they start brooding up in the early spring. Thats the worrisome time. Remember, they aren't pets. They won't bring your slippers, or fetch the paper. You can't rub em behind the ears, and they won't lie on your feet and keep em warm on those long months of below freezing temps. But they will make honey, and help carry the load.

Michael Bush · July 17, 2007, 08:19:20 PM

>You are assuming that a new born bee will forage if there is no brood to care for.

It's been supported by much experience and several studies. They will be recruited to forage if there is no brood to care for.

This will only work if you time it right. You need to cage the queen about two weeks before the flow. I'd go for three weeks.