How best to care for an AI Queen?

Started by ColeB234, August 13, 2014, 11:11:13 PM

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ColeB234

August 13, 2014, 11:11:13 PM
Hello guys and gals, I am purchasing a Caucasian AI Queen next year from Sue Cobey at the University of California, she will cost 550 dollars American, but I think she will be an invaluable addition to my Bee Breeding operation.

I was wondering if anyone here had any special way of caring for an AI Queen? I was thinking about adding her to an Observation Hive and monitoring her via that, and then grafting eggs from the frames in the Observation hive when Queens were required, I definitely want to monitor her closely, so that she doesn't get replaced when I'm not looking, but I don't want to stress her. Does anyone have any tips for monitoring and caring for an AI Queen?
My Mentors exact words after he inspected my first hive: "When I was growing up, boy stop picking that stinger and listen, I was always told that bees do everything for a reason, so these bees sting you quite a bit, why do you think that is? No, don't bother answering, you'll get it wrong, it's because they hate ya! Boy I'll tell ya, I have never seen such hateful batch of bees, usually they love me, some say it's because I'm such a sweet old man. But these girls, oh mama, they are the nastiest bunch of stinging insects I have ever had the displeasure of acquainting myself with, you aught to take a blowtorch to 'em, that's the only thing that'll keep 'em from being so mean, they can't be mean when they're dead!" We inspected the hive, he's used to doing everything without a veil, and he was somewhat shocked when he got stung on his right cheek. That was the funniest face I have ever seen a man make, though the cussing that followed was pretty funny too. ;)

jayj200

#1
August 14, 2014, 09:31:36 AM
OH from what Iam hearing tend to abscond a lot.

BeeMaster2

#2
August 14, 2014, 01:23:46 PM
Cole,
I would not put a $550.00 queen in my observation hive. Too stressful. My OH has swarmed with just the bottom 2 frames full. It has swarmed with the top 2 frames of the hive empty. Now if you were trying to keep her alive during the winter that may bee the best place. I put a queen in my OH in the fall with just a couple frames of bees, most of them died during the winter and the queen still survived with at most 200 bees, and then in early January, statred rebuilding like crazy and this is the queen that swarmed with just the bottom 2 frames full of bees and brood and left a full the bottom 2 frames full of bees.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

ScituateMA

#3
August 14, 2014, 03:18:15 PM
$550 for a queen .wow! I could have even given you for free if I had Caucasians.
When I used to live in Turkey, all my queens were Caucasian. They are from rainy, mountainous land.
in Massachusetts,  I have Italians, they are very swarmy. I never had even a single swarm  when I had Caucasians

ColeB234

#4
August 14, 2014, 04:26:51 PM
The observation hive I have will be left at home and generally left besides me lifting the black flap that I have over the glass every day to see general brood/Honey/Hive progress. The observation hive I will show to people will be in a ten gallon fish tank and have all natural comb. I will be trying to keep her through the winter, so I think I'll go with the OH hive, also Caucasians don't really swarm that much from what I've read, and if I do see swarm cells I will likely remove the frame they are on and make a Nuc colony with them.
My Mentors exact words after he inspected my first hive: "When I was growing up, boy stop picking that stinger and listen, I was always told that bees do everything for a reason, so these bees sting you quite a bit, why do you think that is? No, don't bother answering, you'll get it wrong, it's because they hate ya! Boy I'll tell ya, I have never seen such hateful batch of bees, usually they love me, some say it's because I'm such a sweet old man. But these girls, oh mama, they are the nastiest bunch of stinging insects I have ever had the displeasure of acquainting myself with, you aught to take a blowtorch to 'em, that's the only thing that'll keep 'em from being so mean, they can't be mean when they're dead!" We inspected the hive, he's used to doing everything without a veil, and he was somewhat shocked when he got stung on his right cheek. That was the funniest face I have ever seen a man make, though the cussing that followed was pretty funny too. ;)

johng

#5
October 21, 2014, 07:52:45 PM
I keep my AI queens in a 5 frame nuc I just add another box on top as needed. I find it much easier to keep an eye on them in a nuc box. It's easier to take off a couple 5 frame boxes v/s pulling off supers when it's time to graft. Other than that I don't do anything special.
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