Are you planning to replace white queens ?

[sainfoin]

If so when, end of August, mid Sept, after treating for varroa? Reading Ted Hooper wondering now if I ought to but will it be possible to buy a laying queen. Maybe its too late to count on a virgin achieving a strong mating flight to lay the all important winter bees.
If only I'd taken up beekeeping 30 years ago there might have been time to learn enough to feel comfortable caring for them - so many variables.

 

[Hivemaker.]

If only I'd taken up beekeeping 30 years ago there might have been time to learn enough to feel comfortable caring for them - so many variables.

Tough luck, you left it too late.

 

[Davelin]

Tough luck, you left it too late.

Interesting comment considering your rubbish advice post.

 

[Chris B]

It's a dilemma. Any white queens I have left are only here due to low swarming tendency (clipped queens) and have already proven their survivability over 2 winters, so potentially good breeder queens. On the other hand they are now higher risk of winter failure and won't be productive next year. So I'll probably end up replacing most and keeping 2 or 3 of the very best.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Interesting comment considering your rubbish advice post.

Succinct and to the point though.

 

[Davelin]

True... but good, sensible advice?

 

[Cazza]

It's a dilemma. Any white queens I have left are only here due to low swarming tendency (clipped queens) and have already proven their survivability over 2 winters, so potentially good breeder queens. On the other hand they are now higher risk of winter failure and won't be productive next year. So I'll probably end up replacing most and keeping 2 or 3 of the very best.

Ditto but on a much smaller hobbyist scale. I am keeping one because she's a good un and have replaced the rest already.
Cazza

 

[Davelin]

I have one hive with a white queen still.

My plan is to get them through the winter and look to replace early next season.
Whether it works or not only time will tell.

 

[Stiffy]

If so when, end of August, mid Sept, after treating for varroa? Reading Ted Hooper wondering now if I ought to but will it be possible to buy a laying queen. Maybe its too late to count on a virgin achieving a strong mating flight to lay the all important winter bees.
If only I'd taken up beekeeping 30 years ago there might have been time to learn enough to feel comfortable caring for them - so many variables.

I was once told that I needed to consider replacing production queens each year. It was advice I didn't take and I still have some 3 year old queens whose colonies produced 150lb this year. If there's a problem with the queen replace her if not leave alone, why make a problem ?
If you need to replace there should be some good queens available, also I have some just hatching virgins that will still be able to mate in time to settle before winter. I am blessed with living in far SW though
All the best
S

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4

 

[davnig]

Interesting comment considering your rubbish advice post.

Succinct and to the point though.

really, seemed a bit too succint pointless to me - too late to keep bees or too late to requeen

 

[ultreen1]

I'm keeping my white queen, She's done very well over the last 2 seasons! If she survives winter excellent, if she builds up next season and they don't swarm (like this year) even better! I've had 4 queens from her so I'm happy going into next season knowing her blood line and hopefully traits will continue!
I think if you have any white queens at the end of this season they are likely to be good ones?! And maybe worth breeding from next season if they survive.

 

[Polyanwood]

What is a white queen? Seriously, never heard of one...

 

[enrico]

Thank goodness you asked poly, I too am baffled! I thought it was a tv programme!
E

 

[Loubylou]

Is it the colour marker for the year born?

 

[user 6228]

AS far as I know The bee keeper isnt planning on doing anything like that.
but can I ask the motivation? If the honey yield next year is vital to your livelihood I could understand it. But if it isnt?

 

[Chris B]

A 2 year old queen i.e marked white.

But it is also a tv prog, quite good too. I'm amazed at how it's stuck so close to real historical events.

 

[Polyanwood]

Ah. White marked queen. I thought it was related to the black bee talk.

 

[Chris B]

AS far as I know The bee keeper isnt planning on doing anything like that.
but can I ask the motivation? If the honey yield next year is vital to your livelihood I could understand it. But if it isnt?

Queen failure is a cause of winter loss. In my experience queen failure happens very early i.e. within a couple of months of mating, or else sometime after her 2nd birthday. Winter queen failure will almost certainly doom the colony.
Replacing a 2 year old queen at the end of the season carries it's own risk of course. On a small scale possibly a better approach is to make increase rather than replace, avoiding all eggs in one basket so to speak.

 

[beeno]

Hi Sainfoin,
I have also read Ted Hooper and he makes it sound soo easy. It is a bit late in the season to start thinking about re-queening by way of producing your own queens IMHO. However, you may be lucky. Someone who was on the same timeline as me two years ago requeened from hive swarming 4th September I didn't. If you got three good colonies at the moment I would not do anything which risks their winter preparations.
It is treating followed by feeding in my book.
Best of luck wintering.

 

[Norton]

Phew! What a relief, I had visions of albino AMMs.