Video: Re-Queening at French Hill Apiaries

[Michael Palmer]

Not sure if I can post to this forum, but thought this video should be a sticky.

Thank you to Richard...Plenty-Of-Honey...from Brittany for doing this. I do think this is be best way to re-queen a strong colony. This video is of my crew working in the queen cell building apiary after queen rearing work is finished for they year. While many of the colonies we are re-queening are strong, I want only young, prolific queens in this apiary so I have strong populous colonies at the beginning of my cell building work next spring.


http://youtu.be/aGbjfYV8v38

 

[BeeJayBee]

It's a good video, thanks.

 

[pargyle]

It's a good video, thanks.

+1 .. Lovely to watch .. brings back summer ...

 

[Hivemaker.]

Well made video and pictures.

My favourite photograph, four of the crew working flat out with the bees while Mike is leaning on a beehive watching over the proceedings, i would call that picture "the ability to delegate" reminds me of someone else....me.

 

[B+.]

I do think this is be best way to re-queen a strong colony.

Interesting video. That looks like a nice sheltered spot.
This is how I introduce queens that have travelled through the post from Germany (~3days). The only thing I would add, which was recommended by ITLD, is that dipping the queen in a cup of tepid water will slow her movements and make it easier to transfer her to the push-in cage. Prior to that I did it in the back seat of my car as I was worried she might fly.

 

[Michael Palmer]

i would call that picture "the ability to delegate" reminds me of someone else....me.

 

[Tom Bick]

A lovely video and just flew by it was so good. Got to give that ago next season and even better the cages so easy to make thanks for sharing.

 

[domino]

How do you make the push in cages, that looks a great idea.

 

[B+.]

How do you make the push in cages, that looks a great idea.

Take a piece of mesh, make 2 slits in each end about 3/4" in from the edge and 3/4" long. Fold over the tabs to make it bee-tight. You can secure it with a little solder or bind it with some twisted wire, but it really doesn't need it

 

[Thymallus]

And for the DIY challenged...they can be purchased in plastic.

Am I right in thinking those 7-8 box skyscrapers in the video with a larger "brood" box on top in the video is/are demarreeing in progress? Or is there another reason for having what looks like a BBSSSSB configuration?

 

[B+.]

Am I right in thinking those 7-8 box skyscrapers in the video with a larger "brood" box on top in the video is/are demarreeing in progress? Or is there another reason for having what looks like a BBSSSSB configuration?

https://youtu.be/R7tinVIuBJ8?t=13m57s
Mike explains this in his queen rearing presentation at the NHS.

The brood box on the top contains frames of harvested brood from 2-way nucs that are dedicated to this process. After 9 days, they are checked for emergency cells then used on the parent site as a cell starter (parent colony containing the queen is rotated through 180 degrees so field bees reinforce the starter.

 

[Thymallus]

https://youtu.be/R7tinVIuBJ8?t=13m57s
Mike explains this in his queen rearing presentation at the NHS.

The brood box on the top contains frames of harvested brood from 2-way nucs that are dedicated to this process. After 9 days, they are checked for emergency cells then used on the parent site as a cell starter (parent colony containing the queen is rotated through 180 degrees so field bees reinforce the starter.

Thanks for the Link B+ and thnaks to Mike for such an interesting talk, fascinating stuff. Honey and new queens from the same hive!
Interesting idea late on of putting a queen cell in the super of a queen-right colony to induce supercedure.

 

[For want of a better word]

What size is the mesh??? as have some very old push in cages with small perforations made from zinc... never have tried them... but I like the idea of being able to see the queen through the mesh!

I use a warm mist spray of Rosemary water... possibly a little gentler than dippimg the queen in warm water to make ler less jittery!

Great video... should be a sticky

Have a great day

Mytten da

 

[B+.]

What size is the mesh???

The ones I made have an epoxy coating like this http://www.wiremesh.co.uk/applications-of-locker-wire-mesh/bee-keeping
Just google wire mesh and you are sure to find a supplier near you. I bought some from Thornes years ago so I am not sure if they still sell it. Its easy to cut with an old pair of scissors you don't plan on using again

 

[Michael Palmer]

What size is the mesh???

#8...8 holes per inch.

 

[Michael Palmer]

c
My favourite photograph, four of the crew working flat out with the bees while Mike is leaning on a beehive watching over the proceedings, i would call that picture "the ability to delegate" reminds me of someone else....me.

I looked at that photo, and remembered what was happening. I'm watching in dis-belief and biting my tongue, and maintaining my calm. Blue shirt has totally screwed things up...and him not really one to listen to my instructions....and work systematically, as he knows too much. Typical sophomore. Combs scattered about and bees all over the ground. And it's taking 3 workers to help him get it sorted...but really only watching...until my long time employee...Kork...butt in the air, takes over. Finally found her in a pile of bees.

 

[For want of a better word]

#8...8 holes per inch.

Thank you Michael

Mesh sizes are different it seems here in the UK, as usual we confound things by stating wire gauges and strands per inch linear...!!!

However US mesh sizes have a more common sense approach.

U.S. Mesh size 8 is a hole size of 0.0937 inches / 2380 microns 2.380 millimeters

It seems to be a bit bigger than the mesh we use for the Open Mesh Floors here in the UK....
any chance of a close up image of the mesh up against a steel rule?

Keep up the good work and keep buzzing !

Yeghes da

 

[For want of a better word]

This is the UK mesh size 8


image from Inoxia Ltd ( NOT advertising... their copyright... other suppliers availiable!

Yeghes da

 

[B+.]

This is the UK mesh size 8

That would be 8 wires to the inch rather than 8 holes to the inch

 

[For want of a better word]

That would be 8 wires to the inch rather than 8 holes to the inch

But what is the wire gauge...... 4 foot 8 1/2 inches

Would be a better world if we all worked in barleycorns.... however someone in France would decimalise to micro barleycorns and the US would imperailise it to 1 11/64 barlecorns........ etc

New A level Physics question ... what is the speed of light in barleycorns per second.... and convert The Bohr Radius to barleycorns!!!!

And the new Chinese force unit Jin/deci barlecorn!



Yeghes da