Does Egg Laying Decrease with the Summer Solstice?

[tillie]

I have searched both here and in the books I have.  I know I've seen and/or heard more than once that the queen begins to slow down as soon as the summer solstice happens and that she starts rebuilding the hive with the winter solstice.  I can't find that anywhere except in my memory. 

Is that accurate? 

Does she begin to slow down today going toward the fall?

Linda T in Atlanta

[eri]

"Also, a honeybee queen mated before the turn of days, or June 21, slows down her egg laying after the turn of the days (June 21) and at that point the mites quickly outbreed the bees. You can stimulate a queen by feeding the hive sugar syrup in the fall but not long enough or at the level to be able to outbreed the mite. The only way to outbreed the mite in the fall is to introduce a queen cell at the end of July as that queen will not slow down her egg laying but instead will act like a spring queen, as observed by Doolittle."

http://www.mdasplitter.com/article.htm

[tillie]

Fantastic reference - thanks so much - I wanted to post on my blog about this but couldn't find the "facts"  I appreciate your effort and post.

Linda T in Atlanta

[BeeHopper]

Interesting management concept, but wouldn't outbreeding the mite into the fall result in more brood taking up space instead of nectar and an unwanted large population that would deplete the winter stores sooner, forcing you to feed  :? 

[tillie]

I heard two people talk about this at Young Harris - Ross Conrad and Kim Flottum.  Both move to nucs with splits in midsummer.....for mite control.

Linda T in Atlanta

[Moonshae]

Interesting management concept, but wouldn't outbreeding the mite into the fall result in more brood taking up space instead of nectar and an unwanted large population that would deplete the winter stores sooner, forcing you to feed  :? 

No, because in the process, you're making nucs that will build up relatively small populations at the same time.

[Pond Creek Farm]

I was just this morning reading that webpage regarding the building of nucs after July 4.  The upshot from what I could gather was that if a queen cell was introduced to a nuc of 2 frames of brood after July 4, the bees would build up sufficiently to overwinter and break the brood cycle on which the mites depend.  Then the new queen acts like a a spring quuen and just goes gang busters with brood production. This out paces the mite production and allows the bees to survive.  I gathered that feeding can be an issue and that pollen must be supplemented and that this is an annual thing so that no queen ever makes it more than one year and is superceded every July. INteresting concept, but I am not sure where to get queen cells for introduction.  He asserst that insertion of a fertile queen does not interrupt the brood cycle enough to affect the mite loads.  I am so new at this that I am not qualified to comment on the veracity of the claims, but it certainly is interesting in any event.

[BeeHopper]

Now it makes sense  :-D

[tillie]

INteresting concept, but I am not sure where to get queen cells for introduction

Ross Conrad's talk on splitting in mid summer into nucs was based on having the bees make their own queens.  He puts one frame of mostly eggs into the center of a five frame nuc.  He then puts two frames of young brood on either side.  He adds the last two frames of pollen and honey.  The bees use the eggs to make a new queen.  He is convinced that your own queens will be the best for your hives.

He gave two talks - the second one was on nuc splits in summer.

Linda T in Atlanta

[randydrivesabus]

is it assumed that when he places the frames of eggs and brood he is also taking the attached bees?

[KONASDAD]

I plan to be doing this myself very soon. It is also easier to use IPM w/ nucs. Sugar shakes are very efffective on a nuc .

[tillie]

Yes, he is taking the attached bees.  I think he checks very carefully for the queen.  He has to take some bees with the frames or there would be nobody to take care of the eggs!

Linda T - sorry for the confusion in Atlanta