In a message dated 96-02-27 16:19:02 EST, [log in to unmask] (David Eyre)
gives the following trait list for queen breeding selection:
>Traits Suggested:
> Winterability
> a. Colony strength first inspection after winter.
> 5. 10 frames of bees or more.
> 4. 8-9 frames of bees
> 3. 6-7 frames of bees
> 2. 4-5 frames of bees
> 1. 2-3 frames of bees.
> b. Stored Food.
> 5. Very heavy none needed
> 4. heavy none needed
> 3. enough food
> 2 no food, needs feeding
> 1. no food and starved
> Brood Viability
> 5. >95% solid brood
> 4. 90-95% solid brood
> 3. 80-90% solid brood
> 2. 75-85% solid brood
> 1. <75% solid brood
> Temperament
> 5. Bees and queen are very quiet, no sting attempts
> 4. Bees and queen are calm and 1-2 sting attempts
> 3. Bees and queen fairly calm 2-4 sting attempts
> 2. Bees and queen show some running 5-10 sting
>attempts
> 1. Bees and queen Excited and running
> Cleaning Behaviour
> 5. Clean bottom board and brood nest
> 4. Clean bottom board with slight debris
> 3. Little debris on bottom board
> 2. Fair amount of debris
> 1. Messy bottom board.
> Disease Status
> Examine brood, check and note. AFB should be
>eliminated.
> Honey Production
> Note on the check list total supers added.
I do not quantify each and every trait, as listed above, though it
probably would be a good thing. It is a good list. I have been interested in
the laptop computer notes of others, as we have thought of trying this for
better record keeping in the field.
What I do, is mark colonies that appear to be exceptional, and follow
throughout a season.
The first marking can be done in early summer, as soon as the new queens
have had an opportunity to assert their individuality. Each time we go
through the bees, the ones marked for possible breeders are evaluated more
closely, and if they fail for any reason, their breeder status is cancelled.
Perhaps 3-4% will be marked at the beginning, while only a handful will
qualify by the following spring. If the bees show ANY trace of meanness, or
chalkbrood, they are instantly eliminated as breeders.
The final creme de la creme (cream rises) will become the two or three
hives chosen as queen mothers. The runner-ups get placed in mating areas,
and are given some drone comb in the center of the brood nest, and fed
heavily so they will make plenty.
One trait not listed, that I think highly important, is pollen gathering.
Overall, the pollen gathering behavior of the bees is highly indicative of
health and genetics. I want my breeders to be gathering more pollen, on
average, that other hives in the same location.
Other traits that help in the total evaluation are odor and appearance of
adults/comb. The slightest greasyness in appearance of the adults or the
capped brood is a bad sign, as is a slight sour odor, instead of the healthy
sweet smell. With odors it is, of course, important to distinguish from AFB
(a powerful odor), and some nectar sources, which have unique odors.
Having said all this, I must note that there are seasons when the plan
breaks down; the bees are swarmy and we simply don't have time to keep up
with the grafting/cells to each, etc. All the early-season stuff is done
"right," but later on, when swarm cells are found, a quick evaluation is
made. If the colony looks good, the entire swarmy colony is made into nucs,
with cells divided, so each has one or two.
I used to cut out these swarm cells, and give queens, but often one is
missed, or they don't accept the queen anyway. The theory is that using
swarm cells will encourage swarminess as a trait. But since the advent of
tracheal mites, I have seen enough weak bees, that I think bees that are
strong enough to swarm are the kind I prefer.
Furthermore swarm cell queens are well fed and almost always accepted, so
one gains in the end.
The best swarm prevention management I know, is to never let a colony go
into the spring buildup with a two year old queen. Swarming is programmed
into them for the second year, no matter what the breeding. We super only
colonies with queens that are less than a year old. The remainder are used
for raising bees.
I'd encourage anyone with a dozen or so hives, or more, to raise some of
his or her own queens, from your best stock, and be diligent about culling
the worst.
I emphacize culling as just as important as breeding. Even junk bees will
raise drones in the spring -- you catch the drift..... Don't nurse along
poor bees; requeen them, or kill the queen and combine them with a good
colony. Combining two poor hives, can often still result in a poor hive, if
both were junk stock. In my early years as a beekeeper, I just couldn't be
hard-hearted enough to get rid of junk, and that was my worst management
weakness.
My current weakness is perhaps trying to keep too many hives, and I'd
better get on to taking care of them. We are stopping now with dry sugar
feeding, and going to syrup. We've had four days in the eighties here in SC,
and are now ahead of season, making us very vulnerable to a cold snap.
Yesterday I noticed wild plum in full bloom, about two weeks early.
Commercial blueberries are starting to open. Peaches are wide open, as are
the flowering pears and anise hyssip. Crab apples are close.
We "primed the pump" in one yard with syrup about two weeks ago, and they
are now getting quite a natural flow. Other yards don't seem to be getting
it though. The total bloom is still not that great. Cold weather is
forecast for the weekend, but we hope not a freeze now.
May all your flowers be filled with nectar.
[log in to unmask] Dave Green PO Box 1200, Hemingway, SC 29554
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