Taken the plunge - II queen

[jeff33]

For the last few seasons I have struggled with the quality of my queens mostly due to lack of resources, working alone, really poor local gene pool and a few beeks in the vicinity adding to the problem with poor stock management.

I have always used F1s from reputable beeks mostly MBC and the late Ricky but as expected F2s were often hit and miss and 2021 produced some feisty stock.

I couldn't really see a way out of this so after much debate I have invested in an II untested (daughters) queen. I didn't want to go buckies or carnies and ended up getting a British black bee.

I did plan ahead last season and got a few descent F1s which will be used for drone production. I am planning on starting drone production end of April spreading the frames as they are capped across all the hives in the mating apiary.

I am also in discussion with a utility company to get a new site 1/2mile away from the mating apiary to allow me to get more descent bees around.

Won't know until the end of 2024 if it pays off but we are playing a long game here!!

 

[rolande]

Do you have a time line for likely delivery?

I'm 100‰ with you regards trying to improve stock. I imagine that you're going to start rearing off her this season, hence your upfront acknowledgement that she is untested. Will you be spreading the risk by also rearing off existing, proven queens that you already have?

 

[jeff33]

Do you have a time line for likely delivery?

I'm 100‰ with you regards trying to improve stock. I imagine that you're going to start rearing off her this season, hence your upfront acknowledgement that she is untested. Will you be spreading the risk by also rearing off existing, proven queens that you already have?

I will assess at the start of the season with what I have. I didn't raise queens last season as I didn't have exceptional material and didn't want to make it worse. I have had a few queens through demaree and need to check the F1s I bought in.
The queen is due around June 20th so will have plenty of time to do a round of grafting and get a few daughters to overwinter.