last grafting of the year?

[jimmybee]

When is the last week you can graft and get queens mated?

 

[fatshark]

Depends entirely on the temperature, the weather and the availability of drones. If all are in your favour then October is possible. However in normal years I'd not rely on much past mid September. Some late mated queens can turn out to be drone layers in late winter/early Spring, which is pretty irritating.

 

[keith pierce]

I did my last graft a few days ago, which means they wont start be mated till the middle of july.

 

[oliver90owner]

Not sure how many times this sort of thing has come up , but it must be umpteen...

You cannot run bees by the calender! It may work to an extent, but much more likely that the exceptions will out-number the rule!

Saying 'do this by' a certain date will invariably be a really safe bet for nearly all seasons, but very likely, for many, the date could have been later, sometimes much later (like closing down colonies for the winter, last autumn!!). Where bees are concerned, what should happen on any particular date, doesn't necessarily happen . They say the bees don't read the same books as beeks - the same applies to the calender.

 

[jimmybee]

very nice will read thanks

 

[For want of a better word]

Not sure how many times this sort of thing has come up , but it must be umpteen...

You cannot run bees by the calender! It may work to an extent, but much more likely that the exceptions will out-number the rule!

Saying 'do this by' a certain date will invariably be a really safe bet for nearly all seasons, but very likely, for many, the date could have been later, sometimes much later (like closing down colonies for the winter, last autumn!!). Where bees are concerned, what should happen on any particular date, doesn't necessarily happen . They say the bees don't read the same books as beeks - the same applies to the calender.

 

[adrian wilford]

my last batch were 50% drone layers, grafted 2nd week of june, just when i could do with some now, its too late for the hives that were queenless, so i have put a frame in with eggs in each of my queenless hives, lets just see what they do with them. not sure bees are young enough to draw out queen cells.

 

[Poly Hive]

I am watching the weather and pondering as this afternoon the weather is suddenly like July should be.

I found an original queen from last year I had forgotten tucked up in a nuc and they are so quiet it is almost funny to see. The weather at the inspection time was getting darker and darker and ten minutes later the heavens opened with thunder yet they sat there without a flicker of temper.

I think I may graft yet. But will the weather hold....dilemmas...

PH