Hi,
>
>Thanks for the explanation.  We never expect dandelions until May.  But I am
>still curious about one thing:  If you start rearing queens at the end of
>April and then do your two-queening the second week of May does that mean
>you are giving the "uppers" queen cells? or virgins?
 
I give them 11 day old cells (sometime virgins, if I can't get the splits
made in time).  I start as soon as possible raising queens but I start slow
and I am in my highest production of cell around mid may (weather always
slows me down).  This only gives the queens 2 to 3 weeks to lay before the
main flow, so I start the splits off fairly large, 5 frames of bees, 2
frames of honey and 3 of sealed brood.  This helps kick that new queen into
laying by giving her a large population of bees and plenty of room to lay.
 
Garrett
 
 
*****************
Garrett Dodds
Custom Inseminations
29480 January Rd.
West Mansfield, OH  43358
(937) 355-0290
e-mail  [log in to unmask]
 
***********************
* Garrett Dodds                         *
* 29480 January Road              *
* West Mansfield, OH  43358  *
* (937) 355-0290                 *
* e-mail  [log in to unmask]    *
*--------------------------*
* Custom Inseminations          *
********************