Brood Pattern and Queen Quality

[Eyeman]

This may only prove that the queen in the small colony can lay a good amount of eggs once she got the work force, but it does not prove that the queen have any other good traits. It's the donor colonies workers who are doing the job and it is of her you may breed!

Guys, in the real world colonies coming through winter will be at different strengths. You can wait watch and see what happens or be proactive and boost those that need help. Nothing to do with queen rearing just basic beekeeping skills.
Some seem to spend all their time pontificating!!!

 

[B+.]

Guys, in the real world colonies coming through winter will be at different strengths. You can wait watch and see what happens or be proactive and boost those that need help. Nothing to do with queen rearing just basic beekeeping skills.
Some seem to spend all their time pontificating!!!

I think you have failed to grasp the difference between "queen rearing" and "bee breeding".
The purpose of the first is merely to provide a queen. Any queen - like slicing a cake into lots of pieces. Everyone gets a small piece, but not very much.
The purpose of the second is to improve the qualities of the queen so you can have more of the cake...and the qualities are heritable, so the piece you get increases, generation after generation

 

[Finman]

Guys, in the real world colonies coming through winter will be at different strengths. You can wait watch and see what happens or be proactive and boost those that need help. Nothing to do with queen rearing just basic beekeeping skills.
Some seem to spend all their time pontificating!!!

So it is in real world. Boost the hives and get them ready to harvest when ever the flow appears.

We should learn to live more in dreams.

 

[Eyeman]

I think you have failed to grasp the difference between "queen rearing" and "bee breeding".
The purpose of the first is merely to provide a queen. Any queen - like slicing a cake into lots of pieces. Everyone gets a small piece, but not very much.
The purpose of the second is to improve the qualities of the queen so you can have more of the cake...and the qualities are heritable, so the piece you get increases, generation after generation

Pontificating again.

 

[Eyeman]

So it is in real world. Boost the hives and get them ready to harvest when ever the flow appears.

We should learn to live more in dreams.

Well said

 

[mbc]

I think you have failed to grasp the difference between "queen rearing" and "bee breeding".

Out of my couple of hundred colonies about two dozen are marked for observation going into winter, at the first spring inspection this typically gets knocked down to about a dozen and these colonies continue to be assessed and won't get boosted ( they wouldn't need it anyway as these are the best of the lot) and neither will they donate bees or brood, unless they start swarm cells or for some other reason drop out of the running as breeders, everything else is up for either donating brood and bees or receiving a boost.
I cannot fathom why you have a problem comprehending that this is fairly standard unless you have so few colonies and so little demand on your time that you continue to assess all your stock all of the time, which would be the variation from the norm for most bee breeders rather than something to aspire to imho.

 

[mbc]

Well said

 

[B+.]

I cannot fathom why you have a problem comprehending that this is fairly standard

I don't. The majority of beekeepers clearly don't understand the difference between queen rearing and bee breeding. That is no reason not to try to educate them though. Of course, you can lead some to water but you can't make them drink.

 

[Swarm]

Such arrogance.

 

[Finman]

, you can lead some to water but you can't make them drink.

Do not stop trying. They will drink when they become thirsty. It is your destiny in this life.

 

[B+.]

Such arrogance.

Is it arrogance to seek to pass on what I have learned? I don't think so. You are free to do what you like. Nobody is forcing you to do anything.

 

[B+.]

Do not stop trying. They will drink when they become thirsty. It is your destiny in this life.

Thank you Finman. I hardly expected your support but I am happy to receive it.

I think people sometimes forget that this is a discussion forum. There will be disagreement, from time to time, but, we are better served by polite exchange of honestly held opinions and not by descending into personal attacks. I know there are people who see things differently. I hope to convince them otherwise but ultimately, I accept their right to do what they choose with their own bees. They should respect my views too. It cuts both ways.

 

[Finman]

Forum or not, but the basic is that each beekeepers is right.

But I have noticed that breeders are right by God's mercy.

 

[mbc]

I don't. The majority of beekeepers clearly don't understand the difference between queen rearing and bee breeding. That is no reason not to try to educate them though. Of course, you can lead some to water but you can't make them drink.

You're coming across a bit confused, have you educated anyone on this thread? If so point out the post and I'll 're read and try and understand what you're getting at.

 

[Beefriendly]

..and the qualities are heritable, so the piece you get increases, generation after generation

Not in the real world of open mating with tom dick or harry they ain't.

 

[For want of a better word]

Thank you Finman. I hardly expected your support but I am happy to receive it.

I think people sometimes forget that this is a discussion forum. There will be disagreement, from time to time, but, we are better served by polite exchange of honestly held opinions and not by descending into personal attacks. I know there are people who see things differently. I hope to convince them otherwise but ultimately, I accept their right to do what they choose with their own bees. They should respect my views too. It cuts both ways.

Well said that man!

 

[Finman]

Well said that man!

Don't piss into your pants... Heh

 

[B+.]

You're coming across a bit confused, have you educated anyone on this thread? If so point out the post and I'll 're read and try and understand what you're getting at.

There'll be two new carnica breeders in the UK this year who I will mentor through their first couple of years testing

 

[Beefriendly]

There'll be two new carnica breeders in the UK this year who I will mentor through their first couple of years testing

Oh Nooooo, then we'll have the new C+ and D+ waving breeding coefficients around the forum like confetti.

 

[B+.]

Oh Nooooo, then we'll have the new C+ and D+ waving breeding coefficients around the forum like confetti.

Not everyone speaks out. Some prefer to get on quietly with what they're doing.