Queen raising day in Kent - Sunday 27th September

[gandalfwhitewizard]

Due to the interest on the forum Widdershins and I are going to run another Queen raising day on Sunday 27th September at our home apiary nr to Sittinbourne, Kent.
We have discussed that there is obviously a keen interest in the subject and would like to offer those who maybe missed out on the last go a final chance this year. We welcome new beeks and experienced and I'm sure that we will all learn something new.
Space will be limited and this is due to the amount of cells we can graft and limit in my home! Sorry...
It bring lunch but we'll sort the drinks out.
Timings for the day are going to be 11am ish and we anticipate it will finish around 1630 ish.
I expect that there will be those who think it is perhaps too late in the season but having now set the colony up and inspected it my queen has laid sufficiently to have one last grafting this year.
This truly will be a test to see the if/buts and ands so to speak but my colonies are still producing drones and there are still drones in the hives. Who knows??
For those who haven't had a good look at mini-mating nucs we will cover the topic as well as Grafting.
Sorry if this is short notice for those who may not be able to make it but I'm sure that we will be doing this again next year. We look forward to meeting those who wish/want to attend and again post our day here afterwards.
You may either PM myself or Widdershins for further details.

Widdershins and GWW.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Good for grafting practice,but you will still need the drones in quantity around the end of october, or later,plus good temperatures on several days,then if they mate you need enough bee's and brood to be making up nuc's in november.I also have some drones around,but many hives have now evicted them,including drone brood. But as you say its just for practice,and to see what may or may not happen, hope you all have a fun day..

 

[gandalfwhitewizard]

Many thanks for you comment HM., you are quite right in what you say but I plan to try and over winter some in Apideas, which will mean less bees and mine already have drawn comb and bees in them.
But again I apreciate the comments made re: nucs etc.
I already have the first two spaces allocated.

 

[ribblesbees]

We would love to come but sadly we are out the night before (long standing commitment). But I sure we'd be interested/love to come if you run another one next year. Hope it's as successfull as the last one.

 

[DulwichGnome]

If there is still a place I would like to come along.

Mike.

 

[gandalfwhitewizard]

Mike,

Yes there is a place and you are welcome to join us.
I'll PM you a few other bits and pieces.

GWW.

 

[Firegazer]

I remember GWW saying "look at those eggs there" and I was thinking "where?". It took me a while to actually see them at all - looks tricky to move them anywhere.

I guess it wouldn't be fun of it was easy!

Good luck with the day. May your hands be steady and your eyes sharp

 

[Frisbee]

I remember GWW saying "look at those eggs there" and I was thinking "where?". It took me a while to actually see them at all - looks tricky to move them anywhere.

I guess it wouldn't be fun of it was easy!

Good luck with the day. May your hands be steady and your eyes sharp

Get a year of beekeeping under your belts and you will be booked on one too.........

Frisbee

 

[Crg]

Good for grafting practice,but you will still need the drones in quantity around the end of october

Having drones around in quantity is something you have control over though, and if it's the time of year the hives around you might be evicting/not raising drones, it's something you could use to your advantage.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Of course you can,easily,if only you could raise the temperature as well.But then i have another way of mating queens,no matter what the weather.

 

[OXFORDBEE]

Have you seen that chappie who stores his drones partially everted in liquid nitrogen for use in early spring....?

 

[OXFORDBEE]

Having drones around in quantity is something you have control over though ...

It's actually the trickiest part of getting queens inseminated/mated effectively.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Keeping them happy and alive long enough to collect the semen is bad enough at times.

 

[Crg]

It's actually the trickiest part of getting queens inseminated/mated effectively.

It's an overlooked part sure, but it's all part of queen rearing. Not just for mating but also, if your colonies aren't raising drones then they aren't likely to be in a great position to raise good queens. Drone rearing is an indication on the amount and quality of pollen available to the colony.

 

[Crg]

Keeping them happy and alive long enough to collect the semen is bad enough at times.

Definitely. They are far too fragile.

 

[DulwichGnome]

Just a quick note to says thanks to Widdershins and GWW for a great day leaning about queen raising in Kent, but I'm sure it would work elsewhere just as well. A worthwhile day of informative and informal introduction to the art of grafting. I hope the weather holds and the queens get mated.

Mike.

 

[Frisbee]

Another triumph for altruism.................well done Widdershins & Gandalf.

Looking forward to my next time, next year.

Frisbee

 

[Allotment Pete]

Gandalf and Widdershins, I Hope you had a good day Grafting, hopefully it will be more sucessful than last time. I was also busy grafting but of a different kind!! Fork and spade on the old Allotment.

What a beautiful day too.

AP

 

[gandalfwhitewizard]

Pete it was a wonderful day with excellent company and excellent weather! I'm sure that you too have had a very productive day and hope that our hard work paved the way for yours!! I'm sure that the bees will love it when they return...
Howletts bees seemed to like their "new" home this morning too....pics to follow...

 

[gandalfwhitewizard]

Beadons, you are more than welcome and glad to that you had a really good day with us.
We most certainly will be running more next year and fingers crossed for your hard work yesterday. Widders will be giving the results on Tuesday...
Hopefully the Naked Beekeeper will have success with the mated queen I sent him today and fingers crossed for the rest of our ladies.
We are happy to start taking names, details for 2010 and nearer the time be in touch.
GWW and Widders.