Cold weather Mating

[MuswellMetro]

An Artificial Swarm carried out on the 2nd April was reported today (15th) as issuing a virgin Queen on a mating flight at 2:00pm and to have returned about an hour later with very Black drones following before going out again within a few minutes

The weather was sunny but only 10c....and the occasional hail storm!!!

just wonder what the chances of this virgin (yellow italain local cross) being able to get mated in this weather...10c seems very cold

 

[susbees]

I've got a VQ sat in a colony in similar conditions (old queen now gone). Counting the days until she's a DLQ probably BUT we have plenty drones around so who knows.

Too chill to do any proper inspections til 5 May if the weather is to be believed. Might try a portable on-hive thermometer instead of a shade one and factor in solar gain and two inspection cloths. Who knows.

 

[Finman]

.
Even if I hope what, I have never met queen mating under 18C. If I have virgin queens 10 pieces, perhaps 2-3 may mate enough in 18C and start to lay.

20C and windless days, and then all will succeed.

Queen have often one day mating, then rain and again after rain it continues mating. The record I have seen mating day, two rainy days and again mating day. The string in abdomen tells when it has mated.

Californian beekeepers say that there queens can mate normally in 15C. Sun is hot there when it shines.

Virgins make flights very young. I have openen several times the nuc and virgin is not there but it is in the evening. That happens when it is under 6 days old.

 

[Finman]

Abstract
http://www.ibra.org.uk/articles/Eff...-temperature-on-the-initiation-of-oviposition

The onset of oviposition of 1396 queens reared in two years in the Peace River region of Alberta, Canada, ranged from 4 to 22 days after emergence, with a mean of 10.6 ± 0.1 days. There was evidence to suggest that some queens may start to lay eggs within 24 h after mating. No consistent correlation was found between queen weight at emergence and the onset of oviposition. Mean weight of queens was 211.2 ± 0.7 mg (range 160-266 mg) in 1981 and 222.6 ± 0.06 mg (range 173-273 mg) in 1982.

There was a close association between maximum daily temperature and time of oviposition. A large number of queens mated at temperatures below 25°C.


Booklet from Holland: Suitable weather for mating of queens and drones. Both queens and drones are stimulated to fly on a sunny day with a temperature about 21 to 27 c degrees. During a rainy day or unfavourable weather queens will not fly out for mating.
http://www.countryrubes.com/images/Raising_Honey_Bee_Queens_8_30_10.pdf

 

[meidel]

It was actually a queen from the swarm which was caught on 11th April, alas the artificial swarm did not produce any mated queens. This swarm came from one of the main hives in our apiary and was a small cast swarm hanging only about a foot off the ground. I think MM, you were there to show us how catching a swarm is done. When we looked at the end of April there were eggs and larvae. So, Muswell Metro, you'll be pleased to know these swarmy bees come from hardy stock

 

[testka]

hi Finman,
interested in the string in abdomen comment. would you mind explaining this please.
thanks.


sent using tapatalk

 

[susbees]

I've got a VQ sat in a colony in similar conditions (old queen now gone). Counting the days until she's a DLQ probably BUT we have plenty drones around so who knows.

Too chill to do any proper inspections til 5 May if the weather is to be believed. Might try a portable on-hive thermometer instead of a shade one and factor in solar gain and two inspection cloths. Who knows.

Mine finally came into lay a couple of weeks ago...hive had been in suspended animation all Spring with neat glazed pollen arcs and polished cells and the winter bees still providing a good covering on all frames of the Commercial box. Half in mind to continue the experiment...but next hive along was split for increase (really nice productive stock) and there was a superful of brood going spare so combined them.

 

[oliver90owner]

Peoples. Please don't mix up temps with real temps. Met office temps are 'in the shade', not in direct sunlight. Local temperatures can be very different from the quoted weather temps.

Think. Gliders, in days before crop burning was banned, kept airborne using thermals, even those rising from the ground to well over 2000feet altitude.

A dark surface in reasonably still air will give rise to thermals - and it may only need a few degrees to make the difference. Bee drone congregations likely take advantage of this - much more clever than the Met office!