Early bird catches the queen???

[Erichalfbee]

I've never bothered if I see eggs. Sometimes I've seen her straightaway
My purchased nuc came with a marked queen and I was glad she was when I had to do an AS. I know there are ways without finding her but it seems so much easier if you CAN spot her.
I have two colonies whose queens need marking. Spotted one last week but didn't mark her

 

[For want of a better word]

Glad to see the three different answers from three different beekepers syndrome is alive and kicking!!

My littlest one thought ALL queens had a coloured spot on them... even asked me why there were no green or blue ladybirds ?

One point is that every time you take the lid of your hive there is going to be the potentiallity of a problem..........!

I now have a shallow box made up to put supers, brood boxes etc on, when ferkilling around...... have had one Queen run out of a frame and into the box, and that is better than into the grass!!

I have had just too many sleepless nights worying about interferring with the colonies, I am actually beginning to believe in leylines!

 

[oliver90owner]

Springer

I " think " everyone on here is a trying to become a beekeeper, or is already 101% qualified !!

My view - you don't need to know that much to become a beekeeper - and even then you will never ever know it all. A beekeeper (in my view) is someone who is able to manage their bees in a 'bee-friendly' manner while keeping them under reasonable control.

I doubt any beekeeper will necessarily need to know even 5% of the craft initially, but are able to keep bees, taking into account the needs of the bees as well as those of the keeper. Thinking, and modifying the published 'rules', to accommodate the particular situation encountered is certainly a pre-requisite that is needed to be a successful beekeeper and not simply 'a keeper of bees'.

Certainly my comment was noticed by a few and just a few of those might absorb that point and make a concious effort (as a new beek) to engage the grey cells before every manipulation, to fully consider the situation - experience will then make decisions more automatic/obvious as time goes on.

There will, of course be those that simply snipe from the sidelines without actually making any positive input to the thread. They are more likely the ones that don't agree to thinking first, or have never really thought about it. Ha ha.

Regards, RAB

 

[johna]

My God what's come over me - this is the SECOND time I fully agree with RAB on one post!!!

 

[Ben2527]

As a newbee, so new I haven't got any bees yet although that may change at Lincoln this weekend if the prices are right. I have no objection adverse comments. I have no doubt that I will get things wrong in the first year or so just as long as the bees are happy and cared for Ill be happy. But those who are more experienced are more likely to get their point across if they treat us as they would their bees....

 

[louiseww]

The chairman of the group with 25 years of experience told me to do this

Did he tell you to do it now?

Think carefully about it, because if he did, I will now ask you to think whether he is offering the best advice.

Beekeeping is not just an 'automaton' response to instructions - do something at a pre-determined date. Sooner or later you will have to make a decision for yourself. If you don't get it right the first time, you might the next, but thinking about it might just give the edge on getting it right first time for the bees. If you don't think about it you may well continue to get it wrong. 'Difference' analogy might be a fitter and an engineer, but there are others.

Maybe harsh, but sadly true; and for the snide one - the cap must actually be worn at this very time. Perhaps if they were actually to make any positive addition to the thread they might eventually achieve some credibility (of which they have very little).

Yes he told me to find the queen and mark asap! But I am now thinking otherwise. Apart from anything else I only have a blue marker which is last years - I have also been thinking that blue isn't a good colour to mark queens because it is the only colour that bees truly see (according to Tautz in the Buzz about bees) which is from his scientific research.
The weather will be good at the weekend 17 degrees but now I am hesitating and don't want to mess her about as she is doing well.
Louise

 

[louiseww]

As a newbee, so new I haven't got any bees yet although that may change at Lincoln this weekend if the prices are right. I have no objection adverse comments. I have no doubt that I will get things wrong in the first year or so just as long as the bees are happy and cared for Ill be happy. But those who are more experienced are more likely to get their point across if they treat us as they would their bees....

Good point Ben thanks - I am not lacking in intelligence or the ability to think independently as my doctorate shows but I worry, worry, worry! Am I doing something that will hurt the bees or not. I often tell people that the honey is a bonus for me because the taking care of them and observing is the very best bit!
Louise

 

[johna]

Just treat them as you would any man----very,very gently.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Would definitely delay until you have a good strategy in case things go wrong, ie in a month or so when you would stand a better chance of getting a mated replacement.

EDIT: - just to add though think it still a good idea to mark eventually, its very reassuring to see her if maybe not that critical most of the time.

 

[keithgrimes]

No matter how hard I try I can't seem to kill a colony. I think it would take something really drastic or a complete and utter fool to loose a colony.:

.
Willie Robson is one of the most experienced beekeepers in the North of England, a third generation professional beekeeper and fifty years experience. His bees produced 80 tonnes of honey last year. He also lost 150 colonies last winter. He'll be interested to hear that you think he's a complete and utter fool.

 

[djg]

Louise,

From your narrative, you should not worry about the blue marker, if you decide to go ahead with it, since she is a 2010 Queen.

On the Tautz blue visibility issue, I will not know until my first inspection whether all 4 of my 2010 Blue Queens are firing on all cylinders, but the traffic to and from the hives looks sufficiently encouraging to guess that all 4 have survived whether the colour blue is "in" or "out" for the bees.

Good luck with whichever course of action your decide on!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Regarding the colour of a marker, how well can bees see in the dim recesses of a hive?

 

[louiseww]

Regarding the colour of a marker, how well can bees see in the dim recesses of a hive?

##

The answer to that Erica is that we really don't know like so many things about the bees!
Louise

 

[richardbees]

Dear Louise,

Four pages later!

I reiterate my suggestion you mark the Q asap because, as the weeks go by the hive becomes more and more full of bees which makes her ever harder to find.

It's not important that you can find her now but it will be imperative in a month or so if you want to do 'artificial swarming' - which is what most domestic beekeepers do. The hive will be seething with bees and you will be so glad that you only have to look for a speck of white!!! Trust me!

Richard

 

[oliver90owner]

I reiterate my suggestion you mark the Q asap

Your choice. Her life in your hands.

RAB

 

[Bcrazy]

Hi members,
What a "To Do" do I or don't I?
I have four colonies now instead of 28 and I went through them last week (Weather about 9C and spotted my new queens and marked and clipped them. The bees will tell you if its OK to go in and start looking for the queens and we do really need to mark them for ease of finding her later when there are thousands of bees on combs.
The choice is yours!!! as the saying goes.

Mo

Just thinking as a beginner ; with all the advice given I really don't know what way to turn. Still I am a beginner anyway. Thank you all for sound advice .

 

[richardbees]

RAB

For heaven's sake, we're not talking about a splodge of Dulux High Gloss oil based Daisy White!

richard

 

[Vergilius]

Okay... Further Q: can you mark your queen with any old marker/paint? Or are there specially designed queen marking paints? I think, after three full seasons, I am going to start marking the HM's. Obviously not right now - in mid-summer once I have built up to a few more colonies - don't want to risk too much!!!


Ben P

PS Bcrazy - Did you sell 'em all or loose 'em all? Awfully sorry if it is the latter.

 

[richardbees]

Ben

I don't care if you're taking the p*ss!

Yes there are special Q marking paints (Tippex works)

richard

 

[Vergilius]

Cool. Not taking the p**s BTW...