Just got another interesting question from Dave Verville.
Anyone care to share thoughts on this one???
 
Rick Hough
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------------forwarded mail--------------------------
Date: 5/2/94 9:29 AM
From: [log in to unmask]
Date: 2 May 94 13:21:00 GMT
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Thanks and ...
 
 
 Thanks for posting my question.   I still get the bee-l news sent to me
just can't get to it! (yet)  Thanks for the offer to collect.
 
 I picked up a nice full, teaming 5 frame nuc from Mike Onyon this
weekend for my favorite sister-in-law.
He said something to me that I have never heard before.
 
 I was explaining that I started an observation hive and that night
it got real cold (Thursday April 21  23F).
 
The bees had clustered away from the queen cage.
I took a look at it Friday AM before work
and found seven motionless bodies inside the queen cage.  I took the cage
inside, opened it and performed CPR on the queen.
(Blowing air on her, poking her with my finger and calling her back.
"Come on baby, don't die on me....)
 
Slowly she started coming around.
After about five minutes she and her attendants
were fine.  I put them back into the cage and then
back into the hive.
I brought the hive into the house.
On Saturday April 23 she was released by the bees.
and I could see the queen walking around. (Accepted!!  :->)
 
On Tuesday April 26 I saw her laying eggs.
Sunday May 1, I could see small larva.
 
When I told Mike the story, he said matter-of-factly
"She'll be a drone layer now."  "When queens get cold they become
sterile"  In all the books I've read, I don't recall ever reading
such a profound statement.  Seems this would be an important information
and worthy of a note.
 
 First I worry about transfering the old queen to the observation hive.
 Then did I transfer enough bees, then will the queen be accepted
 Was she mated properly....       Now this...
 
 Have you ever heard of this?
 
 
 Dave Verville