Late Queen rearing

[dto001]

Just a quick question. What is the latest a decent queen can be reared? I had a quick search here and found people rearing in august.

Cheers

 

[B+.]

Just a quick question. What is the latest a decent queen can be reared? I had a quick search here and found people rearing in august.

Cheers

There is more to this question than you might think. You're going to have to be more specific about what you mean.
The quick answer would be that a queen can mate whenever there are mature drones available.

 

[jeff33]

And the weather is still descent enough for them to fly and mate.

 

[For want of a better word]

There is more to this question than you might think. You're going to have to be more specific about what you mean.
The quick answer would be that a queen can mate whenever there are mature drones available.

We can open mate our native Cornish Amm as late as up to the first week in October... mated queens would have to be put into a fully stocked and well fed nuc to over winter.

Weather dependent of course.

Chons da

 

[Hebeegeebee]

For my part of the world, there's usually a few decent mating days in September* and there are enough drones around and about to make it work. However that would not be part of a planned queen rearing exercies, rather than a succesful supercedure.

*See if the 'papers start banging on about an "Indian Summer is on the way" and the weather should be OK!

 

[madasafish]

I tried raising queens late July here. Mated OK.. But wasps in August wiped out all but the strongest mini nucs so I will not try again.

 

[Ian123]

Pretty much the same as the Cornish response and the more you are doing the better. Queenless nucs cell raisers hang onto drones whilst queen right colonies may be chucking them out.

 

[dto001]

Thanks, I was just wondering as I'm stuck abroad with work (unexpectedly) and wanted to rear a few queens this year but probably won't be able to get home until July 1st so was wondering if that was too late?
(that's saying if my bees haven't all disappeared by then)
cheers

 

[popyasmurf]

If anybody has a spare bargain late queen I have a failing colony in my observation hive which I keep for demonstrations to friends and family just fo a little education for the nervous types