The butcher

[oliver90owner]

Hang on a minute....

I said 'I wished you luck' and later said "You will need some good luck for the nucs and the main colony will likely swarm again shortly,"

Not so very far off, was I? And, as you say, not necessarily queens you would have chosen! And if two failed to mate, what is the chance that another one (or two) may not have mated properly and will supercede before the season's end?

So don't go lumping me in with that (fine fellow) PH; Can't remember what Veg was saying - something about a butcher?

Regards, RAB

 

[mbc]

o90o, you did say you agreed with ph so dissagreed with me and the main colony filled five frames and two supers before she swarmed - a result fior the 'butcher' I would say and if the colony had been inspected competently since the 'butcher' (maybe the method would have had a better response if I'd called it a partial as, but taking the bees away leaving the original colony with a naturalish balance of bees but a bit weaker coupled with uncapping any sealed stores - but I didnt have the imagination at the time ! )then everything would have turned out grand. As it has turned out veg's insinuation of bee cruelty was totally unfounded and all ph could say was he couldnt go along with any of it - very constructive !

 

[davethegas]

O-oh, I think it's nearly tin hat time again(Lol)

 

[oliver90owner]

O-oh, I think it's nearly tin hat time again(Lol)

Nah! He wus just lucky that 3 out of 5 queens got mated - of sorts (we might never hear if they fail before the season end!), and the hive did still swarm as I predicted it might. No mention of honey crop - that was a definite bonus.

You need to read posts 3 - 7 to see the exchange in early May, when the weather forecast was not so good. I wonder who would have won the bet? It was west Wales and I am in Lincolnshire (I mentioned location in the post).

I am glad to say that all my queens, so far, have mated and are laying (100%), and they are from the 2 queens of my choice. Not sure yet how many, or which, will be retained. That is for another couple of brood patterns to sort out. Just waiting on 2 colonies to kick off laying and not expecting either to fail (but could, I s'pose).

Regards, RAB