mating flights

[jimmybee]

I have had 15 V Queens from the last grafts I did I have put sum in mating hives and a few in nuc's. I have only had 2 mate.

I no we have had bad weather but could I be doing sum thing wrong ? I have grafted another 30 today. If any take has any one got any tips???

 

[For want of a better word]

I have had 15 V Queens from the last grafts I did I have put sum in mating hives and a few in nuc's. I have only had 2 mate.

I no we have had bad weather but could I be doing sum thing wrong ? I have grafted another 30 today. If any take has any one got any tips???

You could always set up business in Cyprus !


Not much better here either... in the wet & windy South West...

 

[plumberman]

Jimmy bee- if you update your location more accurately you may get a more informed response.

 

[jimmybee]

I live in wolverhampton just north of cyprus.

 

[protheroe]

a bit of a nighmare with the recent weather

 

[Queens59]

A local queen breeder I contacted at the weekend has been struggling too - it isn't just you! Blame the weather!!

 

[jimmybee]

Thats made me feel alot better, Ill just keep trying.

 

[adrian wilford]

how long have the queens been emerged? it could be upto 3 weeks to get mated with bad weather, in rare cases maybe longer.

 

[jimmybee]

most of them havn't come back check on 3rd week then check yesterday no sign of queens just eggless queen cups.

 

[Finman]

.

I have followed your weather. It has beed odd since April.

Queens need about 20C day temp in following days to make mating flights.
One queen needs 3 good days to mate.

.

 

[jimmybee]

Thanks finnman, how come I am losing so many on mating flights any ideas?

 

[Queens59]

Maybe you have a colony of birds nearby who catch insects - swallows, swifts, housemartins...etc etc etc...

 

[jimmybee]

Rspb wont be happy if i got the air rifle out then

 

[The Cumbrian]

Rspb wont be happy if i got the air rifle out then

Neither would the law. All wild birds their nests and eggs are protected under the 1981 Wildlife and the Countryside Act.

Admittedly the level of protection varies allowing some species to be controlled within certain parameters.

Incidentally I assume you intended to put a smilie after that post.

 

[jimmybee]

yes it was a joke.

 

[Little John]

I've often wondered how important a 'free-flight' is ?

If I was a breeder (which I'm not), I rather think I'd experiment with a closed-off area (bit like a large aviary or one of those large polytunnels where they keep and display butterflies) to ensure that the V.Queen mated with a drone of known characteristics ... No ?

 

[blackcavebees]

I've often wondered how important a 'free-flight' is ?

If I was a breeder (which I'm not), I rather think I'd experiment with a closed-off area (bit like a large aviary or one of those large polytunnels where they keep and display butterflies) to ensure that the V.Queen mated with a drone of known characteristics ... No ?

I'm only new to beekeeping myself but I remember reading about Drone congregation areas, so you would have to simulate that if possible ???

 

[protheroe]

I've often wondered how important a 'free-flight' is ?

If I was a breeder (which I'm not), I rather think I'd experiment with a closed-off area (bit like a large aviary or one of those large polytunnels where they keep and display butterflies) to ensure that the V.Queen mated with a drone of known characteristics ... No ?

the drones only congregate in certain areas and then the queen gets mated quite high up.

 

[Little John]

the drones only congregate in certain areas and then the queen gets mated quite high up.

Well, that's interesting ...

... and with the drones (and I've just learned that there can be several involved with any one queen) supplying half of the genes - that suggests that any attempt to breed 'a pure strain' will be a fruitless task - well, unless you happen to live on a desert island of course.

So how did Brother Adam manage to create the Buckfast strain ? More reading on this subject is obviously required.

 

[parkranger]

Neither would the law. All wild birds their nests and eggs are protected under the 1981 Wildlife and the Countryside Act.

pigeons, pheasants, grouse etc etc