killing queens?

[Goran]

What is idea in that? To put 2 queens to lay when the hive ought to get main yield?

During main yield it is advantage if there are much bees but not much brood.

Second thing is that I want to see how good a the new queen is in laying. If it is not good enough, I have time to change it.


I have enough mating nucs and I change the queen if I am not satisfied on it.

You miss the point, this is nursing home for queens, not great material value, but this beekeeper doesn't like to kill old queens due to his respect for the bees and gratitude. This way he doesn't directly kill them, he leave to them to resolve. But as he wrote sometimes one which left next season is doing OK.
I still when see the queen is failing I go for change immediately by killing with fingers and taking away from apiary. But the feeling isn't great ( I pray for each queen I kill).

 

[Finman]

You miss the point, :

I do not miss the point. My point is very clear. I keep best queens to make maximum honey yields.

I know much guys who cannot even clip the wing of queen.

I need not cry with them. To me a queen is only a bug.

Of course the best are guys who cannot take honey from bees because they love bees.

I have done all wrong during 50 years, but it is not my problem. Winners write the history.

.

 

[onymee]

It has been interesting to read this queen and cat killing discussion. As for myself, I have never seen a reason to kill a queen in sixteen years of beekeeping. I have been fortunate not to have experienced a "nasty" colony in my apiaries. But I have also noticed that the mood of the bees can be much affected by people. They can be decidedly jumpy around some people and perfectly calm with others.
I have no views on others' queen culling activities. But I suggest that queen and drone culling is not imperative to successful beekeeping. Indeed it would be a pity if people starting out were to consider it imperative. The fact that it is recommended in certain beekeeping books means little in this context, in my view.

Thanks for this info. Maybe I will not have to kill. I seem to be one of the people who bees like. In my limited contact with them as a child, and coming across them occasionally as an adult, they seem to realise that I am no threat.Perhaps this is because I am an 'animal person' and live with lots of animals, so have certain body language and a slow manner of speech and movements and am just confident. When I went to see a beekeeper in Norfolk a couple of summers ago and he asked if I would like to see his bees,I decided that since he wasn't dressed like a spaceman, I didn't have to be worried, and so I wasn't.Perhaps he and I were foolish, but he lifted the lids of a couple of hives and without using a smoker, his bees were calm. I guess if I ever had to kill a queen who was nasty, he's the man I'd go to to buy a new one.

 

[Finman]

Thanks for this info. Maybe I will not have to kill. I seem to be one of the people who bees like. In my limited contact with them as a child, and coming across them occasionally as an adult, they seem to realise that I am no threat.Perhaps this is because I am an 'animal person' and live with lots of animals, so have certain body language and a slow manner of speech and movements and am just confident. When I went to see a beekeeper in Norfolk a couple of summers ago and he asked if I would like to see his bees,I decided that since he wasn't dressed like a spaceman, I didn't have to be worried, and so I wasn't.Perhaps he and I were foolish, but he lifted the lids of a couple of hives and without using a smoker, his bees were calm. I guess if I ever had to kill a queen who was nasty, he's the man I'd go to to buy a new one.

Fairytales, but they do not harm anybody. "Bee tolerant style", that I want.

If you open the same hives 2 hours before sunset, I am sure that you forget your calm body language and search quickly nearest busch where you can rush into.

 

[onymee]

I do not miss the point. My point is very clear. I keep best queens to make maximum honey yields.

I know much guys who cannot even clip the wing of queen.

I need not cry with them. To me a queen is only a bug.

Of course the best are guys who cannot take honey from bees because they love bees.

I have done all wrong during 50 years, but it is not my problem. Winners write the history.

.

I am glad you explained that you regard living creatures merely as honey producing units. Some of us keep bees because they enjoy learning about and interacting with different species, do not regard ourselves as a god and will treat our bees with every duty of care and indeed feel regret if they lose a hive and guilt if their mismanagement caused harm to those creatures in their care. It's called humanity It's what makes us human. Humans without humanity are called 'phycopaths', meaning, with no empathy for others, no feelings of guilt,concerned only with ones self.
As for the last statement, Perhaps worthy folks are not interested in winning or writing history.I'd much rather be respected and liked in this life, than respected and liked in a history book. I'm not a winner,and when I'm gone, very few people will miss me. I'm not right bothered. I'm more proud that my friends and family know that if they need help, I am the person they can call on who will move heaven and earth, and not rest, until their problem is solved, and they love me for it. I wonder if you are only friends with humans who are wealthy or can do you a service of some kind?

 

[onymee]

The way for a person to learn is to ask, then read all the replies, then consider the replies, raise a point, argue a point, then make a decision based on the replies and argued points.Some will be discounted out of hand because I feel that their way of thinking is so opposed to my own, but all will be carefully mulled over. I am sorry that Finman seems to have gained the impression that I am a silly woman who lives in a bubblegum pink world with drifting clouds and fairies who wants to cuddle her bees. This is far from the truth. However I will never apologise for my compassion and even 'affection' for living creatures and my respect for their life and concern that I never cause them harm.If I have to kill, then I want to make sure that I am able to do so without causing pain or fear and give an instant death. If this makes me a silly old lady then so be it.

 

[Finman]

I am glad you explained that you regard living creatures merely as honey producing units. Some of us keep bees because they enjoy learning about and interacting with different species,

Thanks Pal!!!!

Hehe heh. I was so interested on nature that I went to university to study biology for 6 years.

After that should I come out as more stupid than I went in?


?

Heh heh heh

Humans without humanity are called 'phycopaths', meaning, with no empathy for others, no feelings of guilt,concerned only with ones self.?

Thanks pall, I got into mind to take my pills (again)

GOOOOG heavens! My day is saved!

 

[Finman]

I like British TV series. But I have allways wondered how much they make murders in small villages and dig bodies in their gardens

Where ever Garden Detectives go to work or some Mrs or Mr goes to spend holliday, they get a body next day and all other "humans" are like nothing has happened.

I understand that queen neurosis.

Count from here

http://www.google.fi/search?hl=fi&q...38,d.bGE&fp=8ecae87de7be8545&biw=1366&bih=612

 

[onymee]

I like British TV series. But I have allways wondered how much they make murders in small villages and dig bodies in their gardens

Where ever Garden Detectives go to work or some Mrs or Mr goes to spend holliday, they get a body next day and all other "humans" are like nothing has happened.

I understand that queen neurosis.

Count from here

http://www.google.fi/search?hl=fi&q...38,d.bGE&fp=8ecae87de7be8545&biw=1366&bih=612

it is 2 hours before dusk in Finland? I didn't realise the time difference was so great lol

 

[Finman]

.
Sunset is here today 17:20

London has 17:23
.

 

[Goran]

I do not miss the point. My point is very clear. I keep best queens to make maximum honey yields.

I know much guys who cannot even clip the wing of queen.

I need not cry with them. To me a queen is only a bug.

Of course the best are guys who cannot take honey from bees because they love bees.

I have done all wrong during 50 years, but it is not my problem. Winners write the history.

.

My mistake. I won't reply You any more. Whatever You say, You're right.
Wish You all the best.

 

[Finman]

.

 

[Sir Quej]

What is the process for replacing a queen? Is it simply a case of killing her and the bees will build queen cells and replace her or is there a more detailed plan to it?

 

[Finman]

What is the process for replacing a queen?

YOu take a queen off and the colony forgets the odor of the queen. They became nervous in 2 hours when the queen absent.
With this procedure they accept a new queen.

Second phase is that they do not accept and they want to rear their own queen. When the queen cells have been capped, then they accept a new queen. - Or not. They may continue nursing queen cells.

If weather is good, often you may take an old queen off and put the new one to walk on comb.

Fall is dangerous time to change the queen.


and many other variations.

 

[Sir Quej]

So its best plan to have a new queen BEFORE removing the old one?

 

[richardbees]

My usual reason for killing a queen is because her porogeny are vicious little bastards! and dispose by treading on her. The somewhat ludicrous suggestion of taking her home and putting in the freezer should be kept for killing a sample 30 bees in a polythene bag for microscopy

Sir Queg
- I'll leave Fin to continue his tutorial

richard

 

[Finman]

My usual reason for killing a queen is because her porogeny are vicious little bastards! and dispose by treading on her. The somewhat ludicrous suggestion of taking her home and putting in the freezer should be kept for killing a sample 30 bees in a polythene bag for microscopy

Sir Queg
- I'll leave Fin to continue his tutorial

richard

Have you thought to get better honey yields? As a reason, you know....

 

[richardbees]

Fin
- to be honest, because my apiary is surrounded by houses, I'm much more concerned with having good tempered bees than very productive ones.
richard

 

[Finman]

Fin
- to be honest, because my apiary is surrounded by houses, I'm much more concerned with having good tempered bees than very productive ones.
richard

Oh! I have good tempered and productive. They are not alternatives.

But honest, good yield depends on pastures.

.

 

[richardbees]

I have excellent yields - London is full of nectar yielding trees e.g. Lime, and year round flowering shrubs and flowers..