Requeening frequency

[ElDoBill]

I have read many places that requeening annually or bi-annually is necessary to prevent swarming yet I read posts here that seem contradict that advice. Is annual requeening necessary?  Which is the best season, fall or spring? 

Many thanks

[pdmattox]

Requeening does not gurantee that your hive will not swarm.  I like to requeen in the fall, I get a better deal on the prices then I do in the spring.  I would not think requeening yearly is something a backyard beekeeper should have to worry about.

[Michael Bush]

>Is annual requeening necessary?

No.

> Which is the best season, fall or spring? 

Fall.  Or whenever she is failing.

[ElDoBill]

Thanks for the replies.  I'll not plan on requeening this fall since this is a colony that was established from a nuc late last May.  My first, hence the elementary questions. Mr. bush you mentioned that it's not necessary to requeen unless she is failing, what are the signs of that?   

[pdmattox]

well I'm not Mr. Bush but I will give my 2cents.  If you start seeing spotty brood patterns, a lot of drone cells or if the queen is present but eggs are lacking should be some signs.  Unless you get a bad queen, the first year she should not give you any problems.

[Michael Bush]

Assuming no other cause (getting ready to swarm, honey bound brood nest, chilled brood etc.) a spotty brood pattern is generally the sign she is failing.  So are supersedure cells.  Many times I've seen supersedure cells and put them in a split only to have what was a really good laying queen quit laying altogether.  Obviously the bees saw it coming and I didn't.

[Mici]

oh yeah..the last statement sure is true. they superceded her, i moved her to another hive (she was doing great) luckily she layed a few batches of eggs in the new hive so...today i saw at least 10 emergency cells but not her majesty, neither any eggs.

[Kathyp]

if fall is the best time for re-queening, then i'm not totally whacked for knocking off my crappy queen yesterday?  i know it's not fall, but it will be that much closer when they are done re-queening themselves (if they do).

[Cindi]

Kathy, hah!!!  I get such a kick out of your comments.  I am going knock off a crappy queen too, but I am going to requeen with an already mated one, that gives me 30 days extra time for rearing brood for the wintertime.  I think it is worth the $22 that we pay for a mated queen.  Have a wonderful day, beautiful life.  Cindi

[mgmoore7]

In FL, they are now starting to encourage requeening at least yearly to ensure that your hive does not become Africanized unless you have a marked queen from a breeder and you continue to find the marked queen.