Hi All
 
Allen Dick wrote the following.
 
> From:    Allen Dick <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Multiple Queens in a Hive
>
> The following was posted in May.  In light of the discussion about Cape
> bees, I wonder if anyone has any insights?
 
> > On the question of what happens when bad weather strikes, when a hive is
> > in swarm mode the bees start a succession of queen cells, maturing at
> > different times, to cover this possibility.  The impulse to issue as the
> > swarm is triggered usually the day before the first queen hatches and
> > this queen duly destroys all her unhatched siblings.
 
This is actually believed to be one of the reasones that the cape bee
evolved it's trait of being able to develop workers who lay eggs that
develop into workers not drones.
 
The cape is a nasty stormy place and has a winter honey flow, hence
queens will often be superseded then and often get blown away inn a
sudden gail or get eaten by a dronga (predatory pain in the neck
bird). Hence over time bees that could requeen again after the first
attempt failed were selected for.
 
There was also some interesting work done by I think Professor
Hepburn from here at Rhodes that showed that there is a strong
tendency for the cape bee to emit swarms in mid winter when berg
winds blow (hot winds cause by air sinking and warming - usually last
a few days - long enough for a swarm to find a new home). Under these
conditions it was found that bees frequently joined swarms - whehther
this is by accidennt or on purpose is unknown. In this way a multiple
queened hive is obtained that cann generate enough warmth to make
some comb and lay a few eggs and so on.
 
I have also seen cape bee hives where the brood nest is split with a
queen laying on each side and workers moving freely between the two.
I made it by uniting two supers with heavy smoking and a month later
they are still doing this.
 
> A hive with many virgin queens running around freely is not unusual.
> Sometimes they will refuse to fight even if removed and placed together on
> your hand or in a jar.
 
I have seen this too, but have also noted that there is more of a
tendency for the bees to nibble pieces of these queens. (tried to
rear some queens and just before they went on their mating flights a
cold front swerved in, and in the end had to open the hive and
seperate them all.
 
> If only we could get honey bees to develop the routine acceptance of
> multiple queens on a continuous and predictable basis without mechanical
> separation by excluders, we would simplify beekeeping and have large hives
> that do not fail due to the mortal nature of one queen.
 
I actually believe that this would be the downfall of the bee as we
know it. Looking at the cape bee we see a bee which is loather to
sting as it will lose it's life and could have passed it's genes onn
instead if the queen died. Hence only stupid bees with no genetic
urge to save their genes sting. Therefore the cape trait should with
time get stronger if one selects for gentle hives.
 
 
> From:    Chris and Janet Sauer <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: harvesting with the new moon?
>
> One of my students was a beekeeper in Vietnam and he informed me the
> other day that beekeepers there avoid taking honey during the full
> moon.  Does anyone have any experience with this?  He seemed pretty
> certain that a new moon harvest would be much better.
 
I have noted on the one or two times when I moved hives under full
moonlight that the bees will fly away and don't seem to fly straight.
And I think many get lost as if they use the moon as their beacon,
believing it is the sun, their maths will be out and they will end up
flying to a competely different spot and be lost forever?? Maybe that
is why he does this?
 
Keep well
 
Garth
 
PS today had the pleasant experience of helping an elderly couple rid
themselves of a hive in a barrel. They sat outside and watched with
their telephone as they were expecting a phone call from their son
who now lives in australia. It was one of those phones that can do
the intercom thing where you stand near it and talk out load and the
replies come through a little amplified speaker.
 
Anyhow, it turned out the couples grandchildren had just that day
been to see an apiary near Perth. Anybody on the list have a group
of kids, one with a funny accent come and visit them today??
 
>
> Chris Sauer in Iowa (30 hives)
>
---
Garth Cambray       Kamdini Apiaries
15 Park Road        Apis melifera capensis
Grahamstown         800mm annual precipitation
6139
Eastern Cape
South Africa               Phone 27-0461-311663
 
On holiday for a few months     Rhodes University
Which means: working with bees 15 hours a day!
Interests: Fliis and bees
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this post in no way
reflect those of Rhodes University.