Mating nucs

[Anduril]

And does any of that matter a Damn in queens that will never serve more than 2 years?

Mine last 3-4 years, why tolerate inferior queens.

 

[Haughton Honey]

I really wouldn't like running 500 or a 1000 six frame commercial nucs just for mating virgin queens from, quite a chore catching up 70 or 80 queens of a morning from them, then the prep work for the next round of cells.

Granted Pete, the volume of Queens that you're trying to rear will influence both your method and kit choice and I know that you rear loads.

Personally, I tend to take a nuc before they show signs of swarming as the **** goes over and if they haven't already tried to swarm as a means of swarm control.

Empty brood box above the colony - three frames of BIAS ensuring no Q in to the brood box over a QX and under a cover board - leave for 30-50 mins for the nurse bees to migrate upwards and cover the frames. Whip away in a poly nuc. Leave them to sort themselves out or introduce a new line/bought-in Q if playing about.

 

[Finman]

Mine last 3-4 years, why tolerate inferior queens.

I keep in production 1-2 years. Mostly 1.
.

 

[Anduril]

I keep production 1-2 years. Mostly 1.
.

If the queens are still productive, it is cheaper than buy, buy, buy. Although I produce my own.

 

[Finman]

If the queens are still productive, it is cheaper than buy, buy, buy. Although I produce my own.

I broduce my queens too. I buy only mother queens, because inbreeding is very close If I rear from my apiary.

I have reared queens over 50 years even if guys here laugh that I cannot do only but buy.