When is too late?

[bjosephd]

When is it too late in the season to try my hand at rearing/grafting queens?

(I know I'm likely to get the ol' 'how long is a piece of string' answers, but some ball park thoughts for how this season appears to be going so far would be appreciated)

Cheers…

BJD

 

[Poly Hive]

Plenty of time yet.

Good luck

PH

 

[bjosephd]

Plenty of time yet.

Good luck

PH

Great!

Reading today's delivery of BBKA news, the 'Apiary in June' article by Julian Routh makes it sound like it's time to start thinking about the end of summer already! But then I she did write the article in April before maybe she knew everything was so behind this year.

 

[domino]

This year I'm doing my first ever Queen rearing. I'm going to be grafting Sunday morning. . . Wish me luck.

 

[Finman]

When is it too late in the season to try my hand at rearing/grafting queens?

(I know I'm likely to get the ol' 'how long is a piece of string' answers, but some ball park thoughts for how this season appears to be going so far would be appreciated)

Cheers…

BJD

Too late in Britain? After middle of August I suppose.

 

[B+.]

Too late in Britain? After middle of August I suppose.

I want all my queens introduced before the end of July so that they overwinter with their own workers

 

[Finman]

I want all my queens introduced before the end of July so that they overwinter with their own workers

You have your special reasons.

I start in July or at the end of June the grafting, because I want that they mate well. Our summer is one month shorter than yours.

Overwinter with own workers is rare in my hives. Even if I have mated queens in nucs, I want to see first, what the new workers are, before I move the queen into a big hive.
.
Wintering with Italian bees is not a problem in Finland which we must test. I think that non swarming is the main point, which must be tested 3 years. And other features will be seen during that time.


.

 

[Tom Bick]

Ran a group grafting today at my association, a few very interested people made the effort worthwhile. Thinking about my own queen rearing to coincide with the mating nucs not going to waste and dropping in a few of my queen cells after the queens are removed.

 

[oliver90owner]

One can graft/hand rear all season.

But if you want them mated you will need to think about it a bit.
But if you want them to over-winter you will need to think about it a bit more, perhaps.
If simply changing queens will be different than growing new colonies.
Consider the wasp threat if making small colonies later in the season - especially if you entice wasps into the apiary with ineffective wasp traps.

 

[bjosephd]

Aha!

One can graft/hand rear all season.
Oh right!


But if you want them mated you will need to think about it a bit.
Of course. Over-wintered virgin?! I don't think so!


But if you want them to over-winter you will need to think about it a bit more, perhaps.
Asap then!


If simply changing queens will be different than growing new colonies.
A bit of both potentially/hopefully.


Consider the wasp threat if making small colonies later in the season - especially if you entice wasps into the apiary with ineffective wasp traps.
Yes, it's never made sense to me to bait up traps to bring all the girls to the yard! Feeding syrup in autumn for winter seems wasp attractive enough!
Currently working on an underfloor entrance build to hopefully help against wasps (not nuc sized though). I have one colony on solid wood floor which I believe for all it's flaws it certainly stops all those lovely smells oozing out the gaping hole of an OMF!