queen breeding

[susan2016]

I don't ever intend to buy or breed queens.

The reason for deciding that is that I think it is better to let the bees themselves decide what is needed and if they want to rear another queen they know the signs better for doing so better than we do.

Is this wrong thinking? Thanks.

 

[tonybloke]

no

 

[susan2016]

It's ok saying 'no' Tonybees but why do people breed/sell queen bees then at all?

 

[Suzi Q]

Because beekeepers need/want them?

 

[Poly Hive]

Because thoughtful beekeepers raise queens from colonies that exhibit superior qualities.

If you let rubbish bees raise their own queens do you move forwards? Never you do.



So my answer to the OP is no. A very firm no.

PH

 

[bee82]

Good queen are important to successful beekeeping, and the better the queen, the more productive the colony...

 

[Swarm]

It really depends on the beekeeper. Personal preferences for particular strains? Those who adore Buckfast, those who would like to see AMM return as our natural bee. We all keep bees and will have good and bad queens, sometimes replacements are needed more urgently than the bees decide or for other reasons, like temperament.

 

[oliver90owner]

Just 2 colonies? Very difficult to get around buying-in or rearing a few. You can rear your own queens and select the better ones, but that is difficult with only two colonies. But again, it depends on what you want/expect from your bees.

It may depend on what you start with and the bees in your area, but you will always get some which will be a more feisty than 'acceptable', or some that are not so disease-resistant, or some that just don't produce any crop. Some can just die and where would you stand then? Intentions are not always achievable.

Better to say you will try to use/buy-in local queens than be so rigid with your 'intentions'

RAB

 

[susbees]

Is this wrong thinking? Thanks.

Yes. Because bees are not livestock. The gene pool is apt to have wild genes flung into it at every turn....every time a new "exotic" queen is introduced down the road. And many crosses are pretty evil.

The daft premise that just donning thicker gloves and a better beesuit is good and all that. Breeding form your best behaved and hopefully productive colonies (=queens) makes total sense. Or better, join in a local breeding initiative.

 

[The Cumbrian]

 

[Heather]

I agree too- Bees are not always right... allowing them to be totally self contained in an urban area where a hive may be nasty is irresponsible.

Requeening with a queen from a good colony can change the hive personality within 6 weeks. We have taken over the containment of this livestock and must be prepared to intervene where indications show there is a problem.

 

[boca]

I don't ever intend to buy or breed queens.

The reason for deciding that is that I think it is better to let the bees themselves decide what is needed and if they want to rear another queen they know the signs better for doing so better than we do.

Is this wrong thinking? Thanks.

It depends on what the objective of the beekeeper is.

In my garden I have bumblebees, tits, squirrels, mice etc. I don't feed them and I don't kill them. They propagate as they like, I could not care less.

But bees I keep as a domestic animal. I want to get out something from them. Therefore I do operations which I deem take me closer to my objectives.

 

[Easy Beesy]

A bit irresponsible, is it not? Regardless of disease, nuisance or any other issue, most people/farmers who have animals of any type, be they plant, fish, fowl or mammal, pet or livestock, actually look after their charges, not obtain them and then leave them to it. From your other posts I understand you wish to do your best for bees - if so surely it would be better to work with them using the swarming instinct to increase your no of colonies and to pass these on to others who wish to help by becoming beekeepers. Or have I misunderstood your intentions?

 

[drstitson]

with the above. some form of beekeeper input is essential.

Please note however, OP, that you would not be queen breeding BUT queen REARING. two very different games.

 

[susbees]

with the above. some form of beekeeper input is essential.

Please note however, OP, that you would not be queen breeding BUT queen REARING. two very different games.

Definitely. I'll be working next season for a Nationally known large scale queen breeder...and hope to learn a lot from the experience.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Susan,

A thought experiement for you. If both of your colonies produce queencells next year and you do artificial swarms on both so you have 4 colonies by August - quite a likely scenario - what do you do? If one colony was productive and gentle and the other swarmy and useless which queens do you squash to combine back to two hives? You will have to make descisions. If you are aware of that, that's fine. Although you may not want to graft eggs or small larvae into a rack of queencups and have a pile of mini-nucs, you will have to consider selection of some sort. Without some sort of selection you may finish up with something you don't want.

if your two colonies are from the same source and virgins mate with local drones and the resultant bees are suicidal nutters, you will have to do something. (Never say never!)

 

[snoop]

I have a hive that will follow you for a good 50 yards at all times, even Saturday , I walked up to see my hives, all were fine , drawing in pollen ivy & gorse , this one has been showing bad signs since mid summer, ( too late to rear a new queen naturally). Even Saturday it followed me the length of the field and the hive wasn't opened I just looked at the entrances. They are out on their own at an out apiary I intend to put a few more hives in next year. I don't want to raise more queens from that stock they will cause trouble when they get strong next summer . I intend using them to rear a few nucs with a new stain of bee I got this year. Sometimes natural mating brings out the worst , on top of that the genetic gene pool needs to be diverse.

 

[Finman]

I don't ever intend to buy or breed queens.

The reason for deciding that is that I think it is better to let the bees themselves decide what is needed

Is this wrong thinking? Thanks.

eh. You want troubles to yourself and to your neighbours.

Honey bee is a wild animal it keeps calm only if you select the proper queens. With 2 hives own queen rearing is not a good job, but if you want to enjoy about bees, bye new ones at least every second generation, or when they become nasty.

If you give to bees opportunity to decide, they surely want to knock out you and some another moving objects.

 

[Finman]

But bees I keep as a domestic animal. I want to get out something from them. Therefore I do operations which I deem take me closer to my objectives.

i visited to boca. His bees are really pleasant and no stings even if I walked without protection in the yard. This is a result of professional breeding. Calm bees do not come from heaven.

If some nearbye has a nasty hive, it spreads its genes around some miles. To fight against enemies is the basic nature of honey bee.



Nature knows best - bull heap!

The distance from my nearest hives to common roas is 10 metres. Every day thre are several horses and riders. Horses stinks what ever and it is awfull to think that my bees attack on horses, old people or children.

This is not "nature game" where "wild poisonous animal knows best.


.

 

[Heather]

Finman- horses dont 'stink' they smell wonderfully of... horse.
When mine died I kept her horse rug in my car for ages- evocative smells of wonderful times together. Never done that with a man's clothing!

Back to queens- just attended lecture by Clive de Bruyn, again, and am more determined to try different methods next year- including grafting- will be a fascinating exercise. have a couple of really good hives that behave, polite, work well and queen lays wall to wall. What else can you ask for... maybe varroa destruction, but I do think the bees are getting there- seen immature/bitten mites dropping.
Roll on April!