Queen Matings

[ROACHMAN]

Ive got 3 virgin queens which have emerged in the last few days and another one hatching in the next few days.

I am hoping that the weather will be good enough for matings soon.
Yesterday afternoon was 16 deg, was there any chance of matings ?

What is the minimum temperature needed ?

Have any forum members had any successful matings to date ?

I am worrying we are going to run into the same problems as last year when I ended up with 3 out of 4 queens failing to mate and having to buy them in

 

[Poly Hive]

Good luck I have barely a drone yet let along virgins.

PH

 

[drstitson]

don't virgins wait 5 days in hive BEFORE venutring out on mating flights? so yes, if you had older virgins they could have mated yesterday BUT young ones, no.

jorgen pflugfelder had data that showed queens stop mating once they get enough sperm.

 

[susbees]

jorgen pflugfelder had data that showed queens stop mating once they get enough sperm.

...or go time expired. Got a mere two due to hatch, waiting to get in to see if one is magically laying...and LOADS of drones going stale in almost all hives

 

[drstitson]

yes - presume they reach spermatehcal capacity and then stop. those that don't mate enough end up part-full when no longer capable.

i currently have 1 runty virgin (3 days old) and 7 queen cells (day 13ish) in mini nucs. plenty of drones.

 

[BeeNice]

Also plenty of drones around this area, lots have been produced in my hives.
Steven

 

[Snail368]

Plenty drones here too.

 

[Tom Bick]

On my first inspection of the year 28th March I had a hive with one open supercedure cell and that new queen mated and is going great guns.

When I spotted this I from my understanding at the time gave this hive no chance and started preparations to unite with another hive and the bees have yet again shown me how wrong I was.

I don’t recall the temp but March for me in the south east was very mild and perhaps warmer days than April and my bees were in advance of the actual time of year because of the warm March.

I had drones in my other hives as I had a number of hives at the time with foundation less frames and soon all my hives will be foundation less. The result of foundation less frames is something close to and over 20% drone comb and as a result a lot of drones but if they were sexually mature is another thing.

The hive with the supercedure cell also had drones but this was a case of a drone laying queen, and perhaps other hives in the area.

I have read it on this forum that 20 degrease is needed to get good mated queens and I don’t know if this is because the queen has to fly several miles to locate the best drones as they chase her. Or if it’s a case that we don’t seem to have many good drones in our hives and she has to fly that bit further before she can be caught.

Temperature is one factor to get a queen mated but she also needs good drones ideally not to far away.

I think as with all things beekeeping it comes down to local conditions and if the queen has to fly several miles then the weather is more of a factor but if she can go on shorter mating flight then the weather may not be as important.

 

[BBG]

Good luck I have barely a drone yet let along virgins.

PH

From rainy Devon (but drones, virgins mating, mininucs and new nucs made up from Queen cells and double brood boxes being drawn out or more) that's hard to understand.

That said, we're also feeding a lot.

We're not moving North.

 

[Snail368]

Drone availability and temperature must play an important role in Queen mating.

I think (hope) that my VQ in my nucleus went on a mating flight yesterday afternoon, as I saw the girls from that hive, were out in force and had formed a cluster on their return on one side of the nucleus. From reading the BBQA newsletter I guess they were flying with the new Queen, as bird protection or perhaps to 'vet' the drones...

 

[drstitson]

In his talk at BBKA JP showed that drones and queens from same hive tended to head to different DCAs. Plus queens tended to travel further than drones. In his words "far enough (to avoid home dromes) but not too far (to increase chance of loss to predators etc.)"

rather than temp per se he stated that key factor for mating was clear blue sky (remember those anyone?).

 

[Merlin]

Good luck I have barely a drone yet let along virgins.

PH

Something of a relief to hear I am not alone in the lack of raw material to start grafting. Same here few drones and slow to build colonies which are being fed to aid increase.

 

[MJBee]

Blue sky and +18C shade temp gave me the first chance to get into the Q- half of an AS that was made on 16 April. To Late

3 neatly opened queen cells and 4 sealed cells. As I was removing the sealed cells out popped another virgin. The hive is packed with bees so all I can do is leave them to it - World war III or casts - bl**dy weather.

On a brighter note 10 nice sealed queen cells from 17 offered, however the Q- cell rearing colony is now the hive from hell, they will have one of the cells due to emerge 7 May that should calm them down.

 

[DorsetB]

I am pretty sure I had one mating today, judging by the activity around the nuc. Queen was coming up to a week old, so not too late.

One down, another 11 virgins to go...

I'm sure I read years ago somewhere that the minimum temperature required for mating is 16 degs. C, but see 12 degs mentioned on the forum.

 

[Finman]

Drone availability and temperature must play an important role in Queen mating.

I think (hope) that my VQ in my nucleus went on a mating flight yesterday afternoon, as I saw the girls from that hive, were out in force and had formed a cluster on their return on one side of the nucleus. From reading the BBQA newsletter I guess they were flying with the new Queen, as bird protection or perhaps to 'vet' the drones...

i have not seen ever special happening or clustering around queen mating.
But home bees come out at same time to clean them selves.

Hives have allways enough drones. If not in your hive, surely somewhere nearby. Such is nature.

Don't mystify too much mating flights. You do not see when it happens.

.

 

[Marton_from_hungary]

Hi!
I am newbee here. At home, in Hungary ,we are beepceepers to. My bratherinlow has apove 200 bp
boxes of bee. But now i am here..
Will anybody help me to see a beepkepig in London. I'll be very glad.
Thanks!
If yes, call me at
07778251093

Marton

 

[Tom Bick]

You may be advised to remove your mobile number

 

[drstitson]

"Queen was coming up to a week old, so not too late."

AFAIK they don't head out on mating flights til day 5 after emerging so you're only just hitting mating age!!!!! plenty of weeks left, just have to hope weather stays at the least chageable!