Mating

[Mikeb123]

Does the queen continue mating throughout the spring/summer or is it over and done with in the first part of the season?

 

[VEG]

Just a few flights over a couple of days and that's it.

 

[Davelin]

It's all over and done with in the first few weeks of her life.

She will probably mate with several drones and may go on more than one mating flight, but then that's it.

 

[Mikeb123]

ok I see so why would a good laying virgin queen go off laying?

 

[Hivemaker.]

ok I see so why would a good laying virgin queen go off laying?

Ran out of worker/nurse bees to feed the drones she was producing.

No such thing as a good laying virgin queen.

 

[Davelin]

ok I see so why would a good laying virgin queen go off laying?

This needs a bit more unpicking, a good laying virgin is a contradiction in terms. If she is a virgin her eggs will be unfertilised and as hivemaker says she will produce drones. A drone layer is of no use at all.
If she was a good layer and has now gone off lay then that sometimes happens and she may start to lay again soon. She may be reducing her laying rate now anyway. Are you absolutely sure she is not laying?

 

[Mikeb123]

she is laying but I can only see very few eggs scattered about the frames. There is a fair amount of capped worker brood. There does seem to be a fair few drones.. being my first year i can't compare how many is normal.

 

[Davelin]

No such thing as normal!!

If you have eggs and brood I would not panic and let them get on with it.

 

[Mikeb123]

^^^

 

[parkranger]

It's all over and done with in the first few weeks of her life.

Bit like marriage really!

 

[oliver90owner]

No such thing as a good laying virgin queen. A fact noted by a real beekeeper.

It's all over and done with in the first few weeks of her life. True, but not very informative. Over a period of likely not more than three consecutive days in those first weeks is nearer the mark.

The queen normally never again leaves the nest unless the colony is reproducing (and usually only once) or she is no longer viable. My advice is that youneed a bee book for lots of very basic information.

RAB

 

[hiveabee]

ok I see so why would a good laying virgin queen go off laying?

Virgin Queens Dont Lay

 

[Norton]

Speak for yourself. Mine has suffered me for the last 37 years - I think she is just starting to get used to me.

 

[Beauhawk]

It's all over and done with in the first few weeks of her life.

Bit like marriage really!

 

[beeno]

Hi Mikeb123,
What some people are trying to tell you is that you need to learn the 'vernacular' as a newbie so we all speak the same language, but we all understood perfectly what you meant. Let me congratulate you on having had a virgin successfully mated, some real beeks have not managed a lot of that this season! Going back to your concern that your recently mated virgin had a good laying pattern and is now not laying much and a bit haphazardly two of my colonies did the same a couple of weeks ago and are now back in full swing - ebbs and flows. If you have a marked queen and she is still there I would not worry in the short term. Also, I have learnt from the forum that when there is a flow on the bees sometimes neglect broodlaying in favour of foraging. Just make sure there is enough room for her to lay i.e. empty comb! You obviously keep a close eye on your bees which will make you an excellent beek! Best wishes.

 

[VEG]

Virgin Queens Dont Lay

Are you sure?

What happens when they don't get mated due to bad weather. They then become drone layers.

 

[pargyle]

she is laying but I can only see very few eggs scattered about the frames. There is a fair amount of capped worker brood. There does seem to be a fair few drones.. being my first year i can't compare how many is normal.

Don't be put off by some of the comments - beekeeping is a whole new world with a language of it's own - there's a few constructive comments in amongst this thread.

I would suggest that you get yourself a copy of the Haynes Beekeeping Manual and read it cover to cover. You'll find it in your local library, if you don't want to splash out the £15-£17 it costs, but it will be well worth investing in. Despite it being from Haynes it's actually a very good book for beginners.

Once you get your head around that lot you'll find that it's a whole lot easier to explain to some fairly pedantic people on here what you mean ...

Ted Hooper's book is good but it's too heavy a read for a beginner.

 

[Norton]

Don't be put off by some of the comments - beekeeping is a whole new world with a language of it's own.

Yes, it is not rocket science - its more complicated!

 

[Nige.Coll]

dealing with wild things.
they are mainly all female.
how could that be anymore complicated ?

 

[Norton]

and unpredictable!