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!