New Queen, Small, a problem ?

[Thymallus]

As I said, just another perspective to add to the thread.A starting point to look at things from more than an anecdotal perspective.

"Of course ill-nourished dwarfs are always rejected on sight, but short fat virgins that look very small are often very good so don't destroy these. In fact to judge the probable quality of a virgin or fertile queen by look is difficult. Very large queens are are sometimes poor in performance and I have had very small ones to well"
ROB Manley, Honey farming, p121.

One of my queens is noticeably smaller in length, compared to my others. She is now three years old, and has consistently filled a double brood box for the past two years, this year she decided to swarm, so put her in a small nuc 3 weeks ago...I've just had to expand her back to a full hive as she is still maintaining a prodigious laying rate.
I'm not saying this is the norm, but worth allowing "small"queens a chance to see if they are up to the job.

 

[Finman]

When Queen is poor size it is poor size. Vain to imagine that is good however.

Poor feeding. What else it can be?

 

[BrianO]

When Queen is poor size it is poor size. Vain to imagine that is good however.

Poor feeding. What else it can be?

That opinion differs from above , in my case I will be fascinated to see, if, she makes it to mated stage, how prolific a layer she is.

Will report back here to confirm.

Would imagine on reading above experiences its not a " One size fitt's all " situation and as stated above a small well mated queen could well turn out to be a Good Un !

 

[Finman]

,
I have only 50 y experience about those bugs. But hou do as you do. I said my opinion.

What about if it is best of your queens?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

but short fat virgins that look very small are often very good

And usually grateful

 

[REDWOOD]

 

[Finman]

Would imagine on reading above experiences its not a " One size fitt's all " situation and as stated above a small well mated queen could well turn out to be a Good Un !

Jep. Small be filled better even with small dosage of sperm. Never thought that.


.

 

[Thymallus]

Poor feeding. What else it can be?

Genetics.

 

[rolande]

I'm not saying this is the norm, but worth allowing "small"queens a chance to see if they are up to the job.

One of our large scale bee-farmers has recently wrote (on another forum) of a very good small queen in one of his hives -small enough to be noteworthy, which initially got through more by luck than design but has since appeared to be very good.

But that's not to say that we don't need to draw a line where we ruthlessly deselect anything which doesn't meet our own, perhaps arbitrary, standards. Odd ones may well get through for one reason or another but really our season is far too short to be taking chances: if it's appearance is enough to raise doubt, kill it. That's the way I look at things these days.