Problems mating queens

[Finman]

drones are fertile 2 weeks after emerging but they have to fly to make this happen.
queens are ready for mating 4 days after and up to 4 weeks after emergence.
after 4 weeks the queens can go stale. higher risk of being a drone layer etc.


bit drunk so sry for waffling

Vain calculations. Queen mating is not sport competition. They do it when they do it.

Drones are in hives even in winter. There are enough drone layer hives in Britain after winter so much, that you do not need calculations.

And queens are not ready to make mating flights at the age of 4 days. It is sure. You will not find such queens from your hives.

MAAREC says: About a week after emerging queen makes mating flight... And same says university of Sussex.

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[Bosleeu]

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Mating needs 2-3 days non windy sunny days, and temp over 20 C.

Quickest time table is that queen lays 10 days after emerging. It starts at the age of 7 days.

But if it starts at 10 th day, it needs 2-3 days for mating.

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My last Queen to get mated had two frames of eggs 7 days after emerging. Good pattern, all turned out to be worker brood. I actually think she was laying after 6 days as there were larvae at 9 days. That has been the shortest ever but longest one yet was 5 weeks.

I have also had many Queens mated when the temperatures were below 18, let alone 20 degrees. And 2-3 days non-windy sunny weather? Hardly ever happens where I live, yet they still get mated.

Very few things are definite with bees.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

 

[Hivemaker.]

And queens are not ready to make mating flights at the age of 4 days.

The bees have obviously been reading a different book, because they can, and will mate, four days after emerging.

 

[Motobiman]

The bees have obviously been reading a different book, because they can, and will mate, four days after emerging.

Is that generally in nature or in an apiary situation?
How dependent on weather is that?

 

[Hivemaker.]

Is that generally in nature or in an apiary situation?
How dependent on weather is that?

Cannot say how quick they mate in nature, if you mean bees living in a tree or some other wild place, so in a man made apiary, where I can see what is going on to some extent.

Would not think it happens often in this country, but during very hot weather in 2014, and rather annoying that those particular queens had been out on mating flights at the time.

 

[Motobiman]

Cannot say how quick they mate in nature, if you mean bees living in a tree or some other wild place, so in a man made apiary, where I can see what is going on to some extent.

Would not think it happens often in this country, but during very hot weather in 2014, and rather annoying that those particular queens had been out on mating flights at the time.

Ok thanks.

So you would consider it exceptional for a queen to mate four days after emerging.

What would you suggest is the norm in the apiary environment in your part of the world?

Locally we were discussing micro-climates the other day and I suspect this has a very marked impact on bee colony behaviour and results.

 

[Finman]

The bees have obviously been reading a different book, because they can, and will mate, four days after emerging.

Yes, but it is not typical. I have 50 years experience about queen rearing and I havee seen too how they start to lay. It is not any miracle.

I have read that queen can be inseminated as 4 days old, but in that age you get guite much losses. We discussed about this a while ago.

You deliver wrong information with your special cases .

I cannot understand why British beekeepers have hurry like Gordon Ramsey. Everything is so fast when it happens. But perhaps this hoppy needs Holliwood Action.

There is whole year time to happen, but you must even count, how many drones are on sky. They are thousands without calculations.
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[Hivemaker.]

So you would consider it exceptional for a queen to mate four days after emerging.

What would your suggest is the norm in the apiary environment in your part of the world?

Yes I would consider it exceptional, usually around twelve days if the weather is good around here, so often don't bother checking for a couple of weeks.
The queens that mated so quick were due to be moved to an isolated mating site, so that was the end of bothering to move them.

 

[Motobiman]

#28

Thanks, understood.

Perhaps those girls sensed they were being manhandled

 

[Finman]

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There was in internet a good research about mating. They followed with video cameras how often the queens moved in transparent entrance and how long queens were on their trips.

Most queens needed 2 days to mate, some succeeded in 1 day and some 3 days,

Queens stayed so short time out, that they could not fly very far away. Under 1 km distance must be typical. Researchers believed, that queens fly to the nearest drone swarm.
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My rule of thump is that I do not expect mating flight before 7 days, and I do not expect eggs in the hive before 10 days. And if this do not happen, I do not go into internet to ask, what now...

Swarming queen is 2 days old when it energes. It mates earlier than caged queen.

Swarm virgin is ready to fly when it emerges. When swarm leaves, all rippen queens rush out and start to peep and start to kill each others. You may often pick 10-15 ready virgins from combs.

I have met a swarm where virgin made mating flight next day, when I caught a swarm. But how old the queen was, no idea.
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[Motobiman]

Grasshopper is just seeking enlightenment, Master.

 

[B+.]

Grasshopper is just seeking enlightenment, Master.

I'm sure grasshoppers are different ;-)

 

[For want of a better word]

I try avoid checking for laying in nucs for three weeks after emergence, anything earlier just makes for unnecessary repeat visits in my experience.

Very true MBC... beefiddlers interrupt too much!

In reality it depends upon the phase of the Moon and which quarter Sirius is in.

And of course then in all probability if your mating nucs AND drone supply colony are situated on Ley lines and at 30 degrees to each other.

Perhaps of course that is only for our threatened Native" moneybee" Apis mellifera mellifera

Yeghes da

 

[Motobiman]

Begs the question, can grasshoppers survive on stony ground?

 

[Motobiman]

Very true MBC... beefiddlers interrupt too much!

In reality it depends upon the phase of the Moon and which quarter Sirius is in.

And of course then in all probability if your mating nucs AND drone supply colony are situated on Ley lines and at 30 degrees to each other.

Perhaps of course that is only for our threatened Native" moneybee" Apis mellifera mellifera

Yeghes da

You forgot the colour of the beeks socks . . . . . .

 

[For want of a better word]

Begs the question, can grasshoppers survive on stony ground?

Depends upon the phase of the Moon... and if any grass is growing on it!

Yeghes da

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The bees have obviously been reading a different book, because they can, and will mate, four days after emerging.

Association apiary this year - Sunday 22/05/16 1045hrs hive with single sealed QC.

Sunday 29/05/16 1030 hrs - SBI inspecting, informed hive 3 had QC 7 days previously to have the reply - 'well she's out and laying already!!'