Queen introduction

[Eyeman]

Hi
Is anyone aware of a study that looked at the success of queen introduction at different times of the year?
Lots of anecdotal reports that spring might be most successful when the colony is still growing, bees may be thinking about swarming and nectar is coming in.
Thanks

 

[Finman]

I bet that you have enough your own experiences about that thing.
Yes, time of the spring and summer has very big influence. And the age of the queen has a big inluence.

 

[Eyeman]

I bet that you have enough your own experiences about that thing.
Yes, time of the spring and summer has very big influence. And the age of the queen has a big inluence.

Thanks finman
Just looking for any published studies. Has coloss looked into this?

 

[Beefriendly]

I'm not aware of any scientific studies. But HM and others are always saying you can do direct successful introductions of a laying queen into a colony in spring (one that you have just removed the queen from obviously).
But in summer the success rate is low for direct introductions.

My own experiences suggest that local mongrel bees are reluctant to accept new queens of different races; whereas nucs/hives of most Buckfast, F1's are like slack Alice and will take anything...but as usual in beekeeping not always.
Laying queens seems to be a common theme in successful introductions, with postal queens needing time to recover before introducing.

 

[birdsandbees]

I agree, a laying queen seems to be accepted in most cases, I've introduced at differing times throughout the season, in my albeit relatively limited experience acceptance has been excellent using push in cages and after testing their reaction first have run a few laying queens straight in onto the frames with success.

 

[Amari]

Hi
Is anyone aware of a study that looked at the success of queen introduction at different times of the year?
Lots of anecdotal reports that spring might be most successful when the colony is still growing, bees may be thinking about swarming and nectar is coming in.
Thanks

I buy queens from Ged Marshall and I seem to remember him advising that August is the easiest time - pretty safe to run her in on receipt - but I don't risk it.

 

[Eyeman]

I'm not aware of any scientific studies. But HM and others are always saying you can do direct successful introductions of a laying queen into a colony in spring (one that you have just removed the queen from obviously).
But in summer the success rate is low for direct introductions.

My own experiences suggest that local mongrel bees are reluctant to accept new queens of different races; whereas nucs/hives of most Buckfast, F1's are like slack Alice and will take anything...but as usual in beekeeping not always.
Laying queens seems to be a common theme in successful introductions, with postal queens needing time to recover before introducing.

Thanks
That's been my experience

 

[Eyeman]

I agree, a laying queen seems to be accepted in most cases, I've introduced at differing times throughout the season, in my albeit relatively limited experience acceptance has been excellent using push in cages and after testing their reaction first have run a few laying queens straight in onto the frames with success.

Thanks

 

[Poly Hive]

I rather think there is a book about all of this....

PH

 

[Eyeman]

I rather think there is a book about all of this....

PH

Books are often full of unsubstantiated opinions. Oft repeated ad infinitum.

 

[Michael Palmer]

We requeen anytime from sometime in May to sometime in August. Seems to me it’s not about the date but about the flow. Everything is easier with a flow on.

 

[TooBee...]

My own experiences suggest that local mongrel bees are reluctant to accept new queens of different races; whereas nucs/hives of most Buckfast, F1's are like slack Alice and will take anything...but as usual in beekeeping not always.
Laying queens seems to be a common theme in successful introductions, with postal queens needing time to recover before introducing.

A week ago I did a search online for introducing Queens, I believe it was on www.academia.edu

from memory the key thing (in their 'limited variables') was the age of the workers, younger workers resulted in a shorter time period in which aggression was shown to the queen when compared to a colony (nuc) that contained a normal distribution of worker ages (ie: a mixture of older workers as well).

One thing I think I recall was that they found there was no difference between introducing a Queen of one sub-specie to a hive of a different sub-specie. However this does not mean that all sub-species (they obviously didn't test them all) are the same, and I would imagine that "mongrels" may show, amongst themselves, a greater variation in traits, etc.

****

I have used Push In Cages, BUT I found that the entire wax comb begins to move and I have difficulty in getting the Cage pushed in far enough, the result was that the bees 'ate' under the cage and had released the Queen in less than a day (remember this was my first time) how do you use the Push In Cage successfully, meaning how do you get the Cage pushed in far enough into the wax comb?

 

[Poly Hive]

One substantial library of carefully obtained material free to good home as useless.


PH

 

[masterBK]

I think maybe Polyhive was referring to

The introduction of queen bees by L.E Snelgrove pub 1940 205 pages

 

[Eyeman]

I think maybe Polyhive was referring to

The introduction of queen bees by L.E Snelgrove pub 1940 205 pages

For those of us without access, anything about early versus mid or late season inrtoductions?
Thanks

 

[birdsandbees]

I have used Push In Cages, BUT I found that the entire wax comb begins to move and I have difficulty in getting the Cage pushed in far enough, the result was that the bees 'ate' under the cage and had released the Queen in less than a day (remember this was my first time) how do you use the Push In Cage successfully, meaning how do you get the Cage pushed in far enough into the wax comb?

well, I suppose the type of cage makes a difference, my favourite is the one I made myself out of expanded metal mesh, the sharper edges help it bed in, I have however used the plastic ones that I purchased from Becky's Bees with reasonably good success, the pegs help secure it but they still dig under after a few days which to date I've not found to be an issue as she's started laying by then.

https://www.beckysbeesonlineshop.co.uk/queen-introduction-cage-1076-p.asp

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

For those of us without access, anything about early versus mid or late season inrtoductions?
Thanks

I can't recall, and haven't the time at the moment to leaf through it again.

The beauty of Snelgrove's book is, it just lists all available options/methods of queen introduction however oddball some may seem, thus allowing the reader to think about it and maybe even tailor their own method from the available data.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

For those of us without access, anything about early versus mid or late season inrtoductions?
Thanks

I can't recall, and haven't the time at the moment to leaf through it again.

.

I lied, I did have time, and there is a section in the book discussing timing
Herrod Hempsall says Early autumn, June and August, Snelgrove reckoned any time between May and October for a carefully executed introduction as long as hot dry weather hasn't induced robbing.
He then lists:

(1)spring and early summer when stocks are building up to strength
(2)During a honey flow
(3)During quiet weather in autumn when bees are still gathering nectar

 

[Lancs Lad]

http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/knighttaberdews.html

 

[Eyeman]

I lied, I did have time, and there is a section in the book discussing timing
Herrod Hempsall says Early autumn, June and August, Snelgrove reckoned any time between May and October for a carefully executed introduction as long as hot dry weather hasn't induced robbing.
He then lists:

Thanks for taking the time