Sally's GF3 thread

[Sally PB]

So, with maybe a positive outcome on that bee hive,, do you think you need more bee housing on hand??
Meaning,, have an empty hive available when overcrowding happens?

You need a queen if you start a new hive. You can actually buy mated queens! They're about $65-80. Yes, for a bug.

What we would do is add another box on top of the stack. This is called "supering." The box for honey ("honey super") had what is called a "queen excluder" underneath it so that the queen (who is slightly bigger) can't get up there and lay eggs. You don't want brood in with the honey.

We do have another box and frames, so we're set for that.

 

[Sally PB]

The problem with all the rest of our boxes/frames is that the frames are new. This means that there is no comb on them. Bees spend a LOT of energy drawing out comb. There's a phrase among beekeepers: The queen is the queen, but comb is king.

If you have frames with drawn comb, the bees can get right to work making honey or rearing brood.

 

[cavemanrich]

They're about $65-80. Yes, for a bug.

That does sound pricey. I will ask my neighbor when I will see him. He keeps bees still......... I think
This was a couple years ago,,, but told me he was paying a Double Saw or less for his queens. Not sure of the variety,, but they made honey,,, (the workers of course)

 

[Sally PB]

Here's why queens aren't cheap.

The keeper has to raise them. They have to go on mating flights and return. An unmated queen is useless. A poorly mated queen is useless.

A friend of mine got a bunch of packages of bees (that's different than a nuc) and every hive he put them in failed. Why? because the queen was poorly mated. She wasn't laying enough fertilized eggs. Which means all/most that hatched were drones (males).

A drones ONLY function is to mate with a queen. He does nothing to help the hive. The workers groom him, feed him, clean up after him. Guys, if that sounds like a dream life, keep this in mind: After he mates, he dies. One shot deal and you're done.

 

[Sally PB]

Another reason why queens are so expensive: some beekeepers artificially inseminate her with specially raised bees' sperm to make her young have specific traits. A big one now is VSH, Varroa Sensitive Hygiene.

Varroa mites are the bane of beekeepers. They came on the scene in the 80s and kill/spread disease. The new bees are more aware of them, and groom them off ("sensitive hygiene").

Anything that will help get rid of varroa mites is a big bonus. This is an evolving knowledge/technology.