queens drones fertilization.

mikethebee · Dec 2, 2008

Hi Ya Polyanwood
Feel a bit squirmy about buying in foreign queens now....but on the other hand, i can't afford the garden to be sting city again this year. The irony is, that it is hardest to find the queen in the most stinging colonies. Nobody so far has admitted to it if they do breed queens in the Uk suitable for gardens. Definitely a gap in the market. Maybe someone will PM me! I live in hope.end

The drones are always raised 2/3 weks before the bees decide to swarm nest tempos 85o/f to 95o/f.
WE have no problem having 100% queen cell pulled with it being cold and raining outside every day
About 7 days after hatching the flying drones cannot mate for a further fortnight then the weather has to be worm about 45f for both queen and drone to succeed this is very rare in April/May.
The drones take about 10/14 days to be able to fertilize the queen the problem is to fertilize the queen, up to 6/7 drones will mate and each will die after the deed, the drone?s starts flying in earnest for about 30 minute periods it starts at mid day up to 5pm.
The weather has to be about 45f about 5/6 days before the Queen and drones will successfully mate.

NOW you will get the queens and drones go out in desperation to mate in much cooler weather this leads to poor fertilization, poor queen egg laying like the season gone , and will lead to bees swarming again the bees will force the queen out the hive.
This is not to say she don?t lay you may think she?s OK, But in most cases after winter and the spring build up will show what she?s worth.

Please read and don?t contradict and confute, nor believe and take for granted, nor to find discourse; but to weigh and consider!

All the best mike

BKF Admin · Dec 2, 2008

Thats Bacon.

Bcrazy · Dec 3, 2008

Hi Mike,

Am I reading your post correctly when you say that its due to the poor summers and weather that causes the mating process of the drone and queen to cause the following;

NOW you will get the queens and drones go out in desperation to mate in much cooler weather this leads to poor fertilization, poor queen egg laying like the season gone

I am not a commercial queen breeder, but I do rear my own queens every season to cover myself in the event of any mishaps. I normally raise about 15-20 max as I do not wish for extra.

My understanding of the mating process is the drones congregate in an area DCA where they emit a pheromone to entice a virgin or already mated queen (the queen will fly on consecutive days for mating purposes). Its only a very small % of drones that mate with the queen, normally about 12-15 average.

Regarding drone sperm and Varroa, I wonder if there is any correlation between the two. I wonder if the mite somehow affects the pupa of a drone that causes infertility within that drone?

With regards to the selection of eggs to be fertilised that takes place within the queens bursa copulatrix.

NOW you will get the queens and drones go out in desperation to mate in much cooler weather this leads to poor fertilization,

So to get back to your post Mike how do you see the summers hear in UK having anything to do with the fertilisation of eggs?

Regards;

Finman · Dec 3, 2008

Bcrazy said:
Hi Mike,
.

Regarding drone sperm and Varroa, I wonder if there is any correlation between the two.
;

Varroa is everywhere except in Australia and have been long, but I have not meet other countries to report about poor matings for varroa.

15 years ago, when varroa problem was bigger than now, there were at leat in Finland any reports about poor mating.

If summer is cold and rainy, them folks say that queens have troubles.

Roger see in every place mating problems. He knew the answer before he made that questionaire. And questionaire is not a proper way to resesach that issue. How ordinary beekepers can know what is the matter with their matings....and in second stage it is true.

.

.

mikethebee · Dec 4, 2008

Bcrazy/ Finman thanks for reading my post
yes I belive its down to weather no good unprdictable wet cold this year will tell.
BIG ORDERS FOR NEW QUEENS ALLREADY!
The drones get deformed wings as well and cant fly infested with varroa that dont help none,
only my opinion.
all the best mike

Finman · Dec 4, 2008

mikethebee said:
The drones get deformed wings as well and cant fly infested with varroa that dont help none,
only my opinion.
all the best mike

When I check my dronezones, very few cells has varroa. Over 99% of drones are normal/healthy . Chalkbrood has destroyed more drones than varroa ever.

Even in very bad year over 90% of drones have no mite violation. If mites are more in drones, then hive is in bad condition in Autumn.
Drones are thousands in air when they fly for mating. YOu think that handycaps fly among healthy and kick the queens?

Once I have seen a mite inside emerging queen cell. That does not promise good.