ElDoBill
House Bee
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Gender: 
Posts: 70
Location: El Dorado, California
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« on: July 25, 2007, 03:38:14 PM » |
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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
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pdmattox
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« Reply #1 on: July 25, 2007, 06:46:33 PM » |
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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.
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Michael Bush
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« Reply #2 on: July 25, 2007, 09:35:39 PM » |
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>Is annual requeening necessary?
No.
> Which is the best season, fall or spring?
Fall. Or whenever she is failing.
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ElDoBill
House Bee
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Gender:
Posts: 70
Location: El Dorado, California
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« Reply #3 on: July 26, 2007, 01:01:47 PM » |
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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?
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pdmattox
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« Reply #4 on: July 26, 2007, 04:47:29 PM » |
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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.
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Michael Bush
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« Reply #5 on: July 26, 2007, 08:56:48 PM » |
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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.
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Mici
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« Reply #6 on: July 27, 2007, 06:31:35 PM » |
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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.
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kathyp
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« Reply #7 on: July 27, 2007, 08:06:28 PM » |
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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).
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"What has destroyed liberty and the rights of man in every
government which has ever existed under the sun? The generalizing
and concentrating all cares and powers into one body, no matter
whether of the autocrats of Russia or France, or of the
aristocrats of a Venetian Senate." --Thomas Jefferson to Joseph C.
Cabell, 1816.
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Cindi
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« Reply #8 on: August 06, 2007, 11:24:36 AM » |
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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
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There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold. The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold. The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee. Robert Service
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mgmoore7
House Bee
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Posts: 364
Location: Tampa, FL
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« Reply #9 on: August 07, 2007, 12:10:33 PM » |
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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.
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