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Date: | Tue, 3 Sep 1996 11:19:28 -0400 |
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Good Morning all Bee-Liners:
I have a question that I need answered.
A few weeks back someone posted a comment about requeening
and his opinion about queen suppliers having problems
with virgin queens. I can't find the post or else I'd
reference it. I need to know more about this.
I purchased a Double-Hybrid queen 2+ weeks ago to requeen my
lackluster Italian hive.
I was beset by a multitude of problems.
First the queen was the smallest queen (packaged or otherwise)
that I've ever seen. Just barely larger than the attendants.
Secondly, I received her on a beautiful sunny, warm day but was
unable to retrieve her from the P.O. until late afternoon; and since
the next day had a favorable weather forecast I decided to wait.
The next day dawned cold and rainy. It was the first of three days
of rain showers and heavy overcast.
Thirdly, I shamefacedly admit that I was unable to locate the
old queen after two attempts. In my second botched attempt I
spent the better part of an hour delving into the hive in a vain
search. I collected some valuable data. For this particular hive
the girls tolerence is limited to 45 minutes. I received several
stings THROUGH my suit and clothes as reward for my ineptness.
I decided to split a nuc off the hive with brood and nurse bees
the next day. Much to my delight I discovered that the alarm and
sting pheromes were still quite fresh on my suit, so I didn't even
get the inner cover off before I was beset by 2 dozen bitchy bees.
Retrieveing the brood frames was pandamonium!
When I finally placed the queen cage in the nuc, all the attendants
were dead but queeny looked ok.
The queen was accepted and released without incident.
I checked on the nuc Sunday, 9-1 and while queeny was contendedly
meandering across the frame there was not a single egg or larvae
to be found. I should also mention that there was a golenrod flow
but all field bees went back to the parent hive, so I fed sugar syrup.
By my rough calculation the queen has been free for about 9-10 days.
What are your considered opinions?
Do I have a virgin?
If so, what should I do now? Wait for supercedure? or send for
another queen? Should I wait awhile longer and see what develops?
I don't want to wait too long, as Fall is upon us up here.
Thanks for your help in advance,
Tim Peters, Kirby VT
[log in to unmask]
KirBee Apiary, Bear Bait Honey
I rather be flying!
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