Worldwide Beekeeping

Beekeeping => General Beekeeping => Topic started by: pistolpete on May 10, 2015, 10:54:52 pm

Title: Queen Introduction Frame - Use and Discussion
Post by: pistolpete on May 10, 2015, 10:54:52 pm

Thanks for posting, and thanks for being generous.   I'm not eligible, but do have a couple of questions:  How long does the queen frame stay in and how long does it take for drone layers to give up their habit?   Do you get a mess of burr comb around the unit in the mean time?

Title: Re: Re: KARMA - Queen Introduction Frame
Post by: robo on May 11, 2015, 09:58:53 am

Quote from: pistolpete on May 10, 2015, 10:54:52 pm

Thanks for posting, and thanks for being generous.   I'm not eligible, but do have a couple of questions:  How long does the queen frame stay in and how long does it take for drone layers to give up their habit?   Do you get a mess of burr comb around the unit in the mean time?

Well,  not sure I can answer all your questions, but I'll share what I know.

First of all, this is not my invention,  it came up quite a few years ago on Ebay,  but the price was over $30.   Not knowing if it would work,  I offered to build on for a fellow beekeeper out in Washington who had a laying worker hive.   That particular unit was passed around at Beemaster for a while and everyone had good results.  Not sure where it finally ended up.   

The queen is put into the introduction frame and placed in the middle of the brood nest for 14 days without being disturbed.  After 14 days,  the plug/cover is removed to let her escape.   7 days later you remove the frame and verify the queen is laying. 

You can follow the links above to read about others experiences.   I personally have not used it (yet).  I also know of a local beek not on the forums that had success using it.

Title: Re: Re: KARMA - Queen Introduction Frame
Post by: Papakeith on May 11, 2015, 11:56:18 am

while in the cage she isn't laying though is she? 

Title: Re: Re: KARMA - Queen Introduction Frame
Post by: iddee on May 11, 2015, 01:02:03 pm

Robo, you need to make this thread and a new one stickies. Put the actual playing posts in one and the comments in the other.

Title: Re: Queen Introduction Frame - Use and Discussion
Post by: LazyBkpr on May 11, 2015, 05:58:11 pm

   So if you had a box of these set above an excluder you could use them to bank queens, and then simply set the frame in the hive to introduce as mentioned?

Title: Re: Re: KARMA - Queen Introduction Frame
Post by: robo on May 11, 2015, 07:25:13 pm

Quote from: Papakeith on May 11, 2015, 11:56:18 am

while in the cage she isn't laying though is she?

No she is not.  Just her phermones

Title: Re: Queen Introduction Frame - Use and Discussion
Post by: robo on May 11, 2015, 07:28:09 pm

Quote from: LazyBkpr on May 11, 2015, 05:58:11 pm

   So if you had a box of these set above an excluder you could use them to bank queens, and then simply set the frame in the hive to introduce as mentioned?

I suppose so.