Do you save your Expired Queens ?

BeeHopper · January 18, 2008, 08:14:23 PM

When the time comes to replace your OLD Queens, instead of destroying them, save them as a Display Specimen ?

tig · January 18, 2008, 08:37:12 PM

most definitely unless they become drone layers. i place them in a 4 frame nuc as emergency queens. i've had queens that were excellent layers until about 3 years old after which some got superceeded. i still have some 3 year old queens which are going strong.

rdy-b · January 18, 2008, 11:25:20 PM

Quote from: BeeHopper on January 18, 2008, 08:14:23 PM
When the time comes to replace your OLD Queens, instead of destroying them, save them as a Display Specimen ?

how would you save it i tried once and they dry up into a ball-shape -or after they dry up they dont look like queens -everybody has this thinking that the queen bee is huge -many times with my ob hive at the farmers market people expect a huge queen -so i just say she is young and will get bigger -when placed in alcohol they turn dark and also arnt a good representation of a live queen-RDY-B

Michael Bush · January 19, 2008, 11:42:15 AM

I don't kill very many, (only angry or failed ones) but mine go in alcohol to make swarm lure. I just drop them in live and they immediately curl up from the fumes.

Frantz · January 19, 2008, 12:38:06 PM

How much alcohol do you drop them in? So that you have a potent mixture that is not too diluted.
That is something I hadn't thought about, I am new so I don't think about much yet, but I am learning. I would be curious to learn how to make the stuff, how to apply it and how it works. I will check your site MB, but I don't remember seeeing it there before.
Thanks
Frantz

Michael Bush · January 19, 2008, 02:05:46 PM

>I will check your site MB, but I don't remember seeeing it there before.

:) I should put a picture on there. I just take a small jar and fill it about half full of alcohol. Use everclear if you want to stay "organic" or just use rubbing alcohol (as it will evaporate anyway).

BeeHopper · January 19, 2008, 06:31:03 PM

I have not saved a Queen for display purposes yet. I want to pin a worker, drone and queen in a display box in the future, but seems like a problem. :-\

rdy-b · January 19, 2008, 06:42:53 PM

maybe theirs a way to pour resin over them -RDY-B

JP · January 19, 2008, 06:47:59 PM

I put expired queens in rubbing alcohol in small containers on my kitchen window sill. My wife moves them and I put them back, and we play this game, again and again.

Sincerely, JP ;)