Tiny Drone Laying Queen..

[Erichalfbee]

Why does everything have to end up with anybody’s opinion on black bees? It’s irrelevant.
My first mistake was in arguing with Steve in the first place. My second is probably this post.

 

[Beefriendly]

Why does everything have to end up with anybody’s opinion on black bees? It’s irrelevant.
.

Possibly because it's a big dividing line in beekeeping opinion that few have managed to get over or understand. I find it quite funny. Having kept several types of bees I think I know some of the strengths and weaknesses of them.. Or I hope I do.

I think you should keep the type or strain of bee that suit your beekeeping needs and if happy stick 2 fingers up at anyone who wants to "convert" you to their bees.

I think the bigger problem is few teach the strengths and weakness of different strains of bees so the choice of choosing a strain of bee to suit ones beekeeping needs is often poorly understood.
There you go never mentioned black bee once......ooops

 

[Millet]

Why does everything have to end up with anybody’s opinion on black bees? It’s irrelevant.
My first mistake was in arguing with Steve in the first place. My second is probably this post.

Calm down and think of the honey D ..... anyway i found the little Devil earlier on the first sweep on the sixth frame in.. she was a really elusive Queen and dug her head into a empty cell as though she was trying to hide ? .. anyway i walked away from the hive with the frame as i was not going to miss her for a second time.. i caught her and a worker in a marking tube and into the freezer she went..
All is back on track now i united the now Queenless colony over a good colony with news paper, before that i took the good laying Queen colony out of the Nuc they where in and into a full size box so all would go smoothly..

Here is a picture of the Queen.. she was the same length as a normal worker bee but it is hard to tell by this picture as the worker abdomen has shrunk through freezing...however that is a standard marking tube and the last several Queens i have been marking almost fill the full length of the sponge circle so that should give you some idea how small she was.
Cheers.
Steve.

 

[enrico]

This thread nearly killed me let alone your tiny queen. Sometimes I see the funny side of everyone's tempers and this was one of them! Thanks for cheering me up everyone. Well done millet for a successful outcome.
E

 

[Millet]

This thread nearly killed me let alone your tiny queen. Sometimes I see the funny side of everyone's tempers and this was one of them! Thanks for cheering me up everyone. Well done millet for a successful outcome.
E

Thank you Enrico... as i have previously said folk should not bait me or belittle me..if you ever meet me which i doubt you will..but if you did you would see a good side away from the the internet....
Thank you .
Steve.

 

[beeno]

I am with Enrico, I enjoy your adventures, but please do tell how you ended up with this underdeveloped queen in the first place?

 

[Beefriendly]

I am with Enrico, I enjoy your adventures,

That is exceptionally well put.
Beekeeping is an adventure.
It still is for me, I love it.
And I also love hearing about others problems and how they solved them, or didn't....which is also as important..

 

[Millet]

I am with Enrico, I enjoy your adventures, but please do tell how you ended up with this underdeveloped queen in the first place?

Thank you and you please tell me how i ended up with a under developed Queen because i do not have a clue.. she was made from a frame of eggs and young brood , all where capable of producing a nice fat Queens to get me into 2019.. all i can think of she must have found a bad gene in one million to one..

 

[beeno]

Thank you and you please tell me how i ended up with a under developed Queen because i do not have a clue.. she was made from a frame of eggs and young brood , all where capable of producing a nice fat Queens to get me into 2019.. all i can think of she must have found a bad gene in one million to one..

See Michael Palmer video on queen breeding. It is all about the jelly!

 

[Millet]

See Michael Palmer video on queen breeding. It is all about the jelly!

Thanks for that i will have a look.. it is a weird one for me though.. i split this double brood hive into four after i missed a queen cell which caused a small cast swarm which i paced in a nuc...so basically i had five Queens that got mated and laying well raised by the same bees that reared that little Queen, there is more to the tale than that but that is all we need to know..