Experience with virgin's

[wightbees]

I have lost one Virgin Queen today on introduction but the other five went in happy. I have used a mix of nurse bees from 3 or more colonies then added VQ . These all went into mini nucs . Now the problem I have left is 11 nucs full size frames, so thinking hatching brood with no bees on the frame then mix up nurse bees as I did for the mini nucs and add these too the full nuc frame boxes.
These VQ will be caged for 2 days then released, I was thinking.
Anyone got better ideas?
Next round will be QC , much easier!

 

[For want of a better word]

Frames with brood and no bees to keep them warm will die .....

When I shake out a colony for mini nucs ( after a 1/2 AS to strain out drones and the queen in the drawn framed bottom box) I reassemble, remove the qx and let them get on with it. Removing any unlaid new frames a few days later... amazing how this can give a colony a burst of vigor... and feed it copious amounts of 60%

Yeghes da

 

[wightbees]

Carried on with mix nurse bees in the end, no brood frames. See how these fair . I'm starting jenter kit again tomorrow for another batch, sure it's a learning curve though! Will use QC this time as I know and been told it's easier..
Thanks for the tip : )

 

[Codford]

Somehow, the thread title does not quite live up to the sort of racy debate I expected, or indeed, was rather hoping for...

 

[wightbees]

She is Italian

 

[B+.]

Now the problem I have left is 11 nucs full size frames, so thinking hatching brood with no bees on the frame then mix up nurse bees as I did for the mini nucs and add these too the full nuc frame boxes.
These VQ will be caged for 2 days then released, I was thinking.
Anyone got better ideas?
Next round will be QC , much easier!

When I make up full frame nucs, I transfer frames of brood (ideally raised above a queen excluder for 9 days and any emergency cells previously removed) together with the bees on the combs into a 5-frame box. It isn't necessary to fill it. 2 frames of brood and a frame of mixed stores (including some open nectar) is enough. If I don't think there are enough bees in the box, I will shake a frame or two extra in.
As you know, my queens emerge in an incubator and are marked with numbered disks prior to introduction, so, I can find the queen very easily. Sometimes the bees can be hostile towards a virgin so it is wise to wait and see how they react to her before setting her free. I take the marked queen in a Nicot cage and lay it on the top bars and leave them for a while. I generally have a batch of 20-30 to do so by the time I've placed one on each I can go back to the first and see how they're behaving. If there is no sign of aggression, I'll just flip open the cage and watch the queen walk between the top bars. She will usually stop to be inspected and fed by the workers, so, this can take a while. Just be patient. Rushing it can get the queen killed. Since she is usually only a few hours old, she walks quite slowly and doesn't fly.

 

[Finman]

Better idea introducing virgins?

I have the best: I use same bees on mating nucs which have reared the queens.
Couple days ago I made 15 mating nucs from the rearing hive.

No casualties during 20 years in this thing.

But after emerging 3/20 died in the emerging cage. They were too long in the cage.

3 frame poly nucs were not ready.
. However many kind of things happen before Queens lay normally in the wintering hive.

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[Finman]

.
I do not use Apideas, because after 10 days, when the queen starts to lay, the queen needs at least 3 normal frames.

I splitted langstroth and medium boxes into 3 parts and the missing wall I made from 3 cm polystyrene board. Roofs from same board and floors from ply.

All queens are ready to mate, but in these days we have thunder weathers and rains after midday.

 

[wightbees]

I did make the mistake of rushing the first Queen B+, didn't go well at all... Dead! But had a rethink and hopefully they will be ok. I like your idea leaving Queen on top for while, great idea, will try that. I will try your split box Finny, cheers.