Your oldest queen?

[Nannysbees]

It's our fourth year of beekeeping. We don't seem to have been able to keep our queens for more than a year, going into the second spring they seem to supercede!!! Just wondering what is the longest time you've kept a queen? I have heard some Beekeepers change their queens yearly?

 

[drex]

My bees are currently superseding their 4 year old queen. She is still laying, but slow. Was doing well last season

 

[E&MBees]

My bees have just superceded my oldest and favourite queen. She was the first one I raised myself.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I may have one 2021 queen left, a few yellow queens still going like trains. Thing is, when you use Demaree as your main type of swarm avoidance you tend to wear out the queen a bit quicker and they supersede her the following year

 

[Amari]

My bees have just superceded my oldest and favourite queen. She was the first one I raised myself.

Jet black! I don't think I've ever had a queen that colour.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

In his book 'Beekeeping in Britain' Manley wrote that he had one queen that died in her ninth season

 

[jeff33]

I may have one 2021 queen left, a few yellow queens still going like trains. Thing is, when you use Demaree as your main type of swarm avoidance you tend to wear out the queen a bit quicker and they supersede her the following year

Yes, I can't seem to get a queen to do more than 2 years as I use the demaree and always have them laying like clappers!
Quite difficult for me to be selective and choose any breeder queen!

 

[Parsonage Bees]

My bees are currently superseding their 4 year old queen. She is still laying, but slow. Was doing well last season

Yes, 4 years old when superseded is my best. Strong until the end. A prime swarm I took in from a friend's apiary. Her daughters are 3 and 2. Both still going strong (I hope).

 

[Curly green finger's]

I have a few 2021 cardigan bay honey queens still going and one of John Getty queens from 21 some of the above are nuced queens.
I like others use demaree or double brood but keep the queen in the bottom box with a qx between.
I did have a 2020 queen last season but they swarmed and then failed to replace her swarmed queen was then superseded because she wasn’t mated well

 

[Nannysbees]

In his book 'Beekeeping in Britain' Manley wrote that he had one queen that died in her ninth season

That's got to be some kind of record!!!

 

[deemann1]

I have 3 blue marked queens

 

[sipa]

Five years, she was an absolutly fantastic queen in all respects.
Fabulous brood pattern, prolific layer often on 20+ full frames of brood, lovely calm bees, great nectar gatherers.

Really sad when she passed, but her ancestors live on.

 

[Sutty]

Five years......Really sad when she passed, but her ancestors live on.

They must be really old bees then!

 

[pargyle]

That's got to be some kind of record!!!

More likely Triggers broom ! 5 years I can believe... 9 years ? Fanciful ...

 

[Sutty]

Jet black! I don't think I've ever had a queen that colour.

I did, I was really chuffed! - turned out to be a drone layer!

 

[jarmo henttu]

It's our fourth year of beekeeping. We don't seem to have been able to keep our queens for more than a year, going into the second spring they seem to supercede!!! Just wondering what is the longest time you've kept a queen? I have heard some Beekeepers change their queens yearly?

In 60 years beekeeping my oldest queen has been 2 productive years. Mostly I have changed every year.

 

[Nannysbees]

In 60 years beekeeping my oldest queen has been 2 productive years. Mostly I have changed every year.

That's interesting, bought in new ones?

 

[The Poot]

More likely Triggers broom ! 5 years I can believe... 9 years ? Fanciful ...

 

[masterBK]

Many beekeepers that claim to have very old queens also don't tend to mark queens so can't really prove it! The oldest queen I ever had reached her 4th season. She was used as a breeder queen spending her 3rd and 4th season in a nucleus hive

 

[Cuckmere couple]

our oldest was superseded in 5th year