Attendants in or out

[Geoff]

With bees there never seems to be one correct way of doing things, that is why experienced beekeepers always seem to have a different idea of the best way of doing things. i thought it was a long running joke that beekeepers can never agree on the best way of doing something.....ask 2 beekeepers on the best way to do something and you will probably get 3 different answers! Bees don't do what the text books say they should do, as we all know. Added to that we all have different types of bees in different situations, so a variety of opinions is welcome.
I for one welcome the input from Norton that he leaves the attendants in as that was new to me. I also welcome the input from Mikethebee. Thats the beauty of the Internet, you are exposed to a huge variety of experience, more so than if you just go to your local association. I don't want to be told things are black and white, dead simple. i want to know what different people do, even if sometimes it is contradictory.
If we always did things the same way as everyone else we would still be digging wild bees out of a tree hole.

 

[East Yorks New Bee]

That is why I asked the question in the first place, was there a right or wrong way (answer no) , is it personal preference?/what works for you (answer yes) and for peoples personal views on the subject. I didn't want anyone falling out over this, everyone has an opinion and I appreciate everyone's opinion. What works for one , may not work for another, bees are as different as people. My mentors told me that there are no hard and fast rules with beekeeping, and what works for them may not work for me.I would like to thank everyone that has contributed to this thread.

 

[Norton]

I think I am right in saying the normal procedure in the UK is to remove the attendants.

I have no idea what the normal procedure is in the UK - where some beekeepers seems very set in their ways.
I had a really good laugh at the video by the way - didn't you know that the new JZBZ cages have a queen excluding part that you can break off and release the attendants without pratting around with plastic bags in the kitchen................

 

[Poly Hive]

Setting aside the personal issues in this thread.

The conventional Uk method is to get rid of the workers. End of.

Now ask your self why that might be? Law of averages might occur..........

PH

 

[Norton]

The conventional Uk method is to get rid of the workers. End of.

Now ask your self why that might be? Law of averages might occur...

.......
That is a pretty dogmatic statement and is based on which studies and statistics?
I say the opposite, as do several others on this forum, opinions which are based on years of personal experience.
Maybe the difference in opinion is that the experience of some is with AMM type of bees and as is well-known these are notorious for the difficulty in getting them to accept new queens.
Some of my customers even remove the attendants and replace them with attendants from their own hives before introduction.
Best regards
Norton.

 

[Geoff]

- didn't you know that the new JZBZ cages have a queen excluding part that you can break off and release the attendants without pratting around with plastic bags in the kitchen................

In the kitchen now that is someone who would be confident. I am thinking of all the places a queen could hide - that is why i chose the smallest room. i don't know how you keep the queens in the plastic bag. The two I have done have run up my arm and out of the bag. One flew round the bathroom and the other ran from hand to hand - a beekeeping juggling act while i persuaded her that the queen cage was a suitable hiding place.

 

[bobandbec]

"The conventional Uk method is to get rid of the workers. End of."


Has there been a study undertaken that backs up this statement or is it just word of mouth stuff?

Can't see why it is End of!!

Peter

 

[Norton]

Here are 2 links advising that release of attendant bees is not necessary:
http://www.glenn-apiaries.com/QnIntroInstr.html
http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/cps/rde/dpi/hs.xsl/27_10703_ENA_HTML.htm

It is misleading to say that attendant bees HAVE to be released. It places unnecessary stress on the beekeeper and the queen. New or unexperience beekeepers cannot handle queens if they escape along with the attendants. The advice I give to my customers is to not go to the trouble of releasing attendant worker bees.
Norton.

 

[Poly Hive]

Set in my ways?

Possibly.

end of was shorthand for end of my thoughts.

I was taught to take the attendants out as there was a high risk of a conflict if they were left in. Personally I am not willing to risk all my hard work in getting fron larvae to introduction point by being lazy at the last minute.

As for studies being done I do not know of any in the UK, but that of course does not mean they do not exist. Newbies should be aware that there has been over the years very little spent on bees in the UK in terms of research and what research has been done has been done in other climates which makes in my thoughts at least a huge difference.

PH

 

[Hawklord]

I've always thought, until this thread, attendants should be removed. That's because I've never been told or read anything different. The reason always been given as conflict between the 2 sets of workers and the queen would get tangled up in that conflict.

 

[mikethebee]

We sell thousands of queens and introduce hundreds to our nucleus every year,
We always take out the attendants in the van on site, using the plastic bag.

This is the system I use and advice and works 99.9% for us.
What others tell you then feel free.

Just a little useless unfo.
When banking surplus queens the queen breeders hold 100s in queen-less hives until required. WITHOUT attendants?
www.easybeeproducts.co.uk