Poly Hive
Queen Bee
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2008
- Messages
- 14,097
- Reaction score
- 401
- Location
- Scottish Borders
- Hive Type
- National
- Number of Hives
- 12 and 18 Nucs
Good Q's?
From my personal perspective a good queen produces honey, does not overly sting, and has a low swarm drive. As in her colony behaves thus.
From 36 grafts my all time best was 32 acceptances. Worst was none.
From 32, some 25 made it to virgins and of them some 18 or so were good mated queens. So the loss rate is high but not that high.
I like using mini nucs (Apedias in BIBBA l ingo) and for a mug of bees to get three mated queens is an awesome return, though 2 is more realistic.
I too would prefer AMM and it appals me that BIBBA refuses to see that the best material is up north, way north. Try Caithness for instance.
If southern bees sulk in the UK, ie NZ bred material, then why should the girls from Northern stock not do well in the south? Seems logical to me. Especially as the distance is so much the less. Only some 600 miles. As opposed to what? 12000?
Anyway I digress and producing a few queens is pretty easy really, must be if I can do it.
PH
From my personal perspective a good queen produces honey, does not overly sting, and has a low swarm drive. As in her colony behaves thus.
From 36 grafts my all time best was 32 acceptances. Worst was none.
From 32, some 25 made it to virgins and of them some 18 or so were good mated queens. So the loss rate is high but not that high.
I like using mini nucs (Apedias in BIBBA l ingo) and for a mug of bees to get three mated queens is an awesome return, though 2 is more realistic.
I too would prefer AMM and it appals me that BIBBA refuses to see that the best material is up north, way north. Try Caithness for instance.
If southern bees sulk in the UK, ie NZ bred material, then why should the girls from Northern stock not do well in the south? Seems logical to me. Especially as the distance is so much the less. Only some 600 miles. As opposed to what? 12000?
Anyway I digress and producing a few queens is pretty easy really, must be if I can do it.
PH
