Happy New year fellow beekeepers. What are your aspirations?

[BeeKeyPlayer]

Do you clip your queens Archie? Best decision I ever made re swarm prevention (to a point of course). Clip mine every spring now.

Often think if all beekeepers clipped their queens, swarming issues would be a minor problem. Very few beekeepers (hobbyists) agree with me on this one though, don’t know anyone in my association who does it.

I'm getting the knack of clipping, now, Elaine. With my shaky hands, I've been waiting to find a way (other than propranolol). The operation is less fraught with my mark and turn queen marking cage. The queen easily exposes a wing through the end of the cage and I can feel more confident that I'm going to remove just a part of the wing and not any other parts which might finish her off!

I certainly don't have any other reasons, principled or otherwise, not to clip my queens

PS not Parkinson's, just that tremor that it seems is essential for me.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

anyone who believes that clipping queens is the magic bullet for swarm prevention needs to do a lot more studying I'm afraid.

 

[Paulypaul]

Get as many of my 7 colonies through this winter as possible.
Complete my first 12 months of beekeeping in May.
Complete BBKA basic assessment.
Demaree up to 5 strong colonies.
Replace my 3.5 year old queen, and graft from her, as her colony is super strong, as is the queen I got from her last year.
Maximise honey production, with the aim of covering last year's massive costs.
Sell honey at local farmers markets and through the website I've created for that purpose.
Catch several swarms using bait hives, and nurture to good strength.
Go into next winter with 10 strong colonies and some nucs, with better winter preparation.

 

[Moobee]

A bit to far to travel from south Shropshire but maybe still worth a looksy do you have a link or contact details pls?

Will do when they publish the dates & details

 

[Sutty]

I'm also going to re-start clipping queen's this year, I missed too many swarms last year (though there were mitigating factors, honest!) At least I might lose less bees and cause less nuisance. The problem is what's best to do when you've missed it and find open and sealed qcs! Is there a virgin present or not!

 

[elainemary]

anyone who believes that clipping queens is the magic bullet for swarm prevention needs to do a lot more studying I'm afraid.

Overall still need regular inspections but with a far reduced chance of a prime swarm leaving with the original queen, buying a bit of time to act on queen cells and no loss of the foraging force. Unless of course a beekeeper misses inspections and loses casts.

 

[Moobee]

Do you clip your queens Archie? Best decision I ever made re swarm prevention (to a point of course). Clip mine every spring now.

Often think if all beekeepers clipped their queens, swarming issues would be a minor problem. Very few beekeepers (hobbyists) agree with me on this one though, don’t know anyone in my association who does it.

I agree. Although I did have to chase one very determined queen across the drive last year as she tried to walk her way to freedom. Twice!

 

[Erichalfbee]

very determined queen across the drive last year as she tried to walk her way to freedom. Twice!

Trying to survive, I guess

 

[Wilco]

Took advantage of the fine weather to share my sorrow with the bees and clear my mind. It was a great comfort watching their activity, also taking advantage of the weather. The hives feel good to the heft.

Sorrow?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

far reduced chance of a prime swarm leaving with the original queen,

but more or less the same chance of a prime swarm leaving with the first virgin out if people think they're safe to leave it for more than a few days more than seven before inspecting

 

[pargyle]

A bit to far to travel from south Shropshire but maybe still worth a looksy do you have a link or contact details pls?

It's a bit hit and miss ... there are sometimes amazing bargains to be had but I've also seen really crap stuff sell for more than you can pick it up new in the sales. To be honest, the second hand standard timber hives (that have been worth having) that I've seen over the years at both Sussex and Meon Valley auctions have gone for more than I would have paid for them. One of my beekeeping friends picked up a stack of good looking national supers for a very modest price, she was surprised at the bargain - only to get them home and discover that they had been home made and they were not quite National size - when put on top of a standard national there was a lip all the way round as they were just a bit bigger ! Largely unusable and they were pine as well ... expensive firewood.

Buyer beware - take a tape measure and know what you are looking for. I suspect, for the quantity of kit you are looking for, you would be better spending the fuel money on buying new in the sales.

Having said that, I like auctions, they are a bit of fun, you get to meet up with friends and the bacon rolls and cake are worth the trip and sometimes there are bargains ... I picked up a pack of new disposable overalls which are really good quality and will keep me going for years of decorating for a fraction of their original cost and a Black and Decker workmate - one of the early 'proper jobs' for a fiver !! I picked up some Paynes Nucs and a Paynes hive for a lot less than they were new - but it seems a lot of people don't much like Paynes kit (their loss, my gain !).

 

[rolande]

It's a bit hit and miss ... there are sometimes amazing bargains to be had but I've also seen really crap stuff sell for more than you can pick it up new in the sales. To be honest, the second hand standard timber hives (that have been worth having) that I've seen over the years at both Sussex and Meon Valley auctions have gone for more than I would have paid for them. One of my beekeeping friends picked up a stack of good looking national supers for a very modest price, she was surprised at the bargain - only to get them home and discover that they had been home made and they were not quite National size - when put on top of a standard national there was a lip all the way round as they were just a bit bigger ! Largely unusable and they were pine as well ... expensive firewood.

Buyer beware - take a tape measure and know what you are looking for. I suspect, for the quantity of kit you are looking for, you would be better spending the fuel money on buying new in the sales.

Having said that, I like auctions, they are a bit of fun, you get to meet up with friends and the bacon rolls and cake are worth the trip and sometimes there are bargains ... I picked up a pack of new disposable overalls which are really good quality and will keep me going for years of decorating for a fraction of their original cost and a Black and Decker workmate - one of the early 'proper jobs' for a fiver !! I picked up some Paynes Nucs and a Paynes hive for a lot less than they were new - but it seems a lot of people don't much like Paynes kit (their loss, my gain !).

I think @Curly green finger's misunderstood the nature of the auctions that I suggested he may be seeing in a couple of years. I certainly didn't mean that his time would be well spent trawling the countryside for the odd gem. Perhaps I'm too cynical for my own good but there are some over capitalised, relatively young, bee businesses out there at a time when the trend appears to be a downturn in the bulk honey price. The questions are who can adapt and who can sit things out till things pick up again.

 

[Antipodes]

I agree. Although I did have to chase one very determined queen across the drive last year as she tried to walk her way to freedom. Twice!

I've got one queen that is always wandering around. I remember her when I caught the swarm. Almost the last bee in, wandering around on the tree trunk. Then the next spring somehow put her on the wrong side of the excluder. The next time I inspected she got out of my view very quickly and I got very lucky finding her wandering around by herself in the grass a good way from the hive. She created a massive colony however.

 

[elainemary]

but more or less the same chance of a prime swarm leaving with the first virgin out if people think they're safe to leave it for more than a few days more than seven before inspecting

Agree - I work on 10 days being safe since last inspection

4 days for a queen cell to get capped assuming the bees build a cell as soon as the beekeeper leaves from a 1 day larva. Old queen tries to swarm with the prime but if clipped is lost & prime swarm returns. Another 7 to 8 days first virgin emerges so 7+4 =11 days, so best to allow 10 in case queen emerges early which does happen.

Fun starts when original queen drops up the ground and manages to crawl back however still don’t leave until first virgin emerges.

I’ve had several instances of capped swarm cells now (before virgins emerge ) with the old queen there still happily laying. I don’t think she’d crawled back in all those cases. It’s as though clipped queens are sometimes recognised by the colony so they wait til the first virgin emerges. Have you ever noticed that?

 

[Erichalfbee]

I’ve had several instances of capped swarm cells now (before virgins emerge ) with the old queen there still happily laying. I don’t think she’d crawled back in all those cases. It’s as though clipped queens are sometimes recognised by the colony so they wait til the first virgin emerges. Have you ever noticed that?

What I’ve seen in a “swarmy” year is the swarm leaving before queen cells are capped.
Queen in residence after capping is really common

 

[rolande]

Re clipping: I don't have strong views (anymore) either way having clipped/not clipped. But a question I don't remember being asked by anyone is, in a time of potential high virus loads is it wise to be creating open wounds especially to queens. Maybe there's no issue at all.

 

[rolande]

I’ve had several instances of capped swarm cells now (before virgins emerge ) with the old queen there still happily laying. I don’t think she’d crawled back in all those cases. It’s as though clipped queens are sometimes recognised by the colony so they wait til the first virgin emerges. Have you ever noticed that?

Yes, absolutely.

 

[Buzby]

Our beekeeping association is holding our first auction this year 04/05/2024 at Lower Lloyney above Clyro HR3 5SG details

 

[Curly green finger's]

Are any of these auctions live? On the internet?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Are any of these auctions live? On the internet?

It ain't Bonhams you know, its just a local thing where people can get rid of any cr@p they don't want, people pay top dollar for sub standard second hand kit and (occasionally) ignore any good quality bargains.