Virgin Queen decision

[jenkinsbrynmair]

If you're basing that on dispatching a queen then its you who have no concept of beekeeping.

 

[Teemore]

I'll base my advice on the state of my own colonies at present with the full understanding that I am in Northern Ireland and so your beekeeping conditions and colonies will differ from my own.
I would suggest that trying to get that queen mated is a non-starter. Only my strongest colonies had a few drones in them when I started treating with ApiLife Var on 11th September. With so few drones around it reduces the chances of a queen getting successfully mated. IF the queen were to get mated, do you think that the nuc you would make up for her would build up strong enough to get through the Winter? How many more weeks foraging will your colonies have? To make up a Nuc now, you would really need to be boosting it with emerging brood from other colonies but by doing so, you are depleting those colonies and in my opinion, leaving them less fit to over-winter. The longer you delay your decision, the less fit the queen will be for mating.
I would suggest that you dispose of the queen. Squeeze her or pop her in the freezer for a while if you are disinclined to squash her.
As very slight digression: I saw Monty Don on The One Show last week. He admitted that he was ashamed that on two occasions over the years he had kept pet dogs alive for his own emotional benefit. He now regrets that. Sometimes the hardest choice is the right choice, for beekeepers and for pet owners.
I smiled at the admonishment that there are "honey producers" on the forum. It reminds me of someting ROB Manley wrote. He talks about hobbyist beekeepers, amateur beekeepers and commercial beekeepers and seems to despair of hobbyist beekeepers - a bit like Finman and his two hive beekeepers! I'll add another classification to the list - bee-havers. My bees are the honey producers and I try to work with them to produce bees and honey. It is working so far.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

As very slight digression: I saw Monty Don on The One Show last week. He admitted that he was ashamed that on two occasions over the years he had kept pet dogs alive for his own emotional benefit. He now regrets that. Sometimes the hardest choice is the right choice, for beekeepers and for pet owners.
I smiled at the admonishment that there are "honey producers" on the forum. It reminds me of someting ROB Manley wrote. He talks about hobbyist beekeepers, amateur beekeepers and commercial beekeepers and seems to despair of hobbyist beekeepers - a bit like Finman and his two hive beekeepers! I'll add another classification to the list - bee-havers. My bees are the honey producers and I try to work with them to produce bees and honey. It is working so far.

Well said that man!

 

[Loubylou]

 

[Hivemaker.]

I smiled at the admonishment that there are "honey producers" on the forum. It reminds me of someting ROB Manley wrote.

One of his snippets below.

The British Beekeeper's Guide Book.
And to all those who wish to keep some bees as a hobby, I commend this little work. Therein will be found all the fads and unnecessary trimmings that so delight the hearts of enthusiasts who want to 'keep bees'. The idea of such people is, so far as possible, to find some excuse for doing something to the bees. It is called 'manipulating' them. The poor little creatures are to be commenced upon in March and ceaselessly tormented until winter brings them respite. Even then they are not to be left altogether in peace, for 'candy' is to be administered from time to time. The whole thing is capitally done, and if you want to keep some bees as a pleasant pastime which may probably supply your table with honey and at the same time afford you much pleasure and interest, without being obliged to worry much about costs and profits, I can think of no better work to follow. If you have time and cash to spare for your hobby, I know of no more pleasant outlet for your enthusiasm than beekeeping on strictly orthodox British principles. How well I remember the enthusiasm I felt about it all in the days of my youth! My admiration of those pictures of smiling old gentlemen fiddling about with beautiful and complicated hives, piled high with supers which it never occurred to me might be empty, like dummy whisky bottles in a grocer's window! But there is a lot of difference between keeping bees and being kept by bees,

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

He'd have a field day with the flo hive wouldn't he?

 

[Teemore]

HM's quote from Manley is spot on. Out of interest, I'll have to look out a copy of "The British Beekeeper's Guide Book"!

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

I love putting my hive tool down roughly mid-August. I suppose I sort of oscillate between hobby and amateur. But it seems to me that both can be semi-organic (personal pref) and profitable so it makes sense to make money at it.


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[jenkinsbrynmair]

HM's quote from Manley is spot on. Out of interest, I'll have to look out a copy of "The British Beekeeper's Guide Book"!

You should read his comments on 'spring cleaning'

I love putting my hive tool down roughly mid-August.

Did it this year on the 12th - found it yesterday when I stepped on it!!

 

[Erichalfbee]

I haven't looked in the hives for a month then only to check they were queenright. I have done some minor fiddling with a unite and feeders. It's nearly all done till spring. I have the wood burner on, a glass of whisky in my hand and I'm looking forward to some peace and quiet. By March I'll be dying to get my fingers sticky again.

 

[mazzamazda]

I haven't looked in the hives for a month then only to check they were queenright. I have done some minor fiddling with a unite and feeders. It's nearly all done till spring. I have the wood burner on, a glass of whisky in my hand and I'm looking forward to some peace and quiet. By March I'll be dying to get my fingers sticky again.

Its still 25o during the day here, when did your season start this year? March?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Late Feb/early March our willow starts which is when the bees get really busy if weather permits but there have been years when I haven't looked into the hives till mid April. Supers usually come off at the end of August and colonies are treated and some are fed. If weather is good they will top up on ivy nectar and take in lots of pollen. That's about my year. Temps are 16 during the day at the moment dropping to anywhere between 10 and 14 at night. Very wet and misty most mornings.