Feral i think?

[Mikey N.C.]

This is over wintered hive,swarm catch last year.  The only one, that i have.  Checked an didn't fine swarm cells last Friday.   2 -10 deeps an a med.

[Perry]

Is that an entrance reducer on there?

[Mikey N.C.]

Yes , it's short , 3/4 hole,3/8" short on far side.  I wanted to split but didn't have Q's

[Mikey N.C.]

If ya look at 2nd pic , reducer is short.

[Perry]

I'm thinking in May in NC you shouldn't need a reducer at all?

[riverbee]

great photos mikey, and nice looking overwintered swarm!

like perry i would think you could remove the entrance reducer?

[Mikey N.C.]

I'm going this afternoon.  Yesterday was humid,  with no breeze.

[Riverrat]

Yes , it's short , 3/4 hole,3/8" short on far side.  I wanted to split but didn't have Q's

If I had a swarm hive that builds up like that I wouldnt use a purchased queen to split.  I would let them make their own to keep the genetics

[Wandering Man]

Yes , it's short , 3/4 hole,3/8" short on far side.  I wanted to split but didn't have Q's

If I had a swarm hive that builds up like that I wouldnt use a purchased queen to split.  I would let them make their own to keep the genetics

I’m jealous of you folk who have that as an option. We sometimes can’t tell if the queen’s genetics are conducive to Beekeeping or not.

[Riverrat]

Yes , it's short , 3/4 hole,3/8" short on far side.  I wanted to split but didn't have Q's

If I had a swarm hive that builds up like that I wouldnt use a purchased queen to split.  I would let them make there own to keep the genetics

I’m jealous of you folk who have that as an option. We sometimes can’t tell if the queen’s genetics are conducive to Beekeeping or not.

I bought queens one time when first starting out.  Once I got into bees larger I found what worked for me was raising my own queens.  I could select the hive with the best genetic traits to draw from.  Soon you should have solid hives. When purchasing queens you have no idea what your getting until the queen has settled in and laying.  IMHO there is less chance of building a better apiary with purchased queens starting over with each new queen is a setback instead of building on what you got.  queen sellers are salesman and salesman are in the business to sell.  One good example of good genetics was iddees waynes bees.  This hive has never seen a foreign queen introduced and if you did the genetics was destroyed and again back to square one with the hive.  you will find most of your large commercial bee operations dont buy queens and believe there is a good reason why

[Wandering Man]

Riverrat,
I have learned from painful experience, as well as more than a few “I told you so” advisors that we are still far enough south that the majority of our feral bees have Africanized genetics. It is not as bad as Arizona is supposed to be, but bad enough that we are better off getting a queen from elsewhere.

They can start off calm and suddenly turn mean. If you wait too long to requeen, it can be really difficult to get a her accepted. Some people down here will work Africanized bees, but none of them keep them in their backyard.

[apisbees]

Some people down here will work Africanized bees, but none of them keep them in their backyard.

And there lies the problem. Instead of trying to keep the African bee population in check they are propagating the species, and are letting swarms get away.

[Wandering Man]

And there lies the problem. Instead of trying to keep the African bee population in check they are propagating the species, and are letting swarms get away.

Yeah, I don't know if the AHB genetics are getting diluted in any way or not.  I've read that queens seem to prefer the "bad boy" genes and will mate more readily with them, and that they will show preference for those sperm packets.  I can't site where I've read that, or if it is true.

[Mikey N.C.]

Yes I'm hoping to cloake board or morris board this queen this year.  And build my yard with these genetic.  I've been buying Q's over the last 2 years from Ga. , thinking everything will be fine. Thats not the case. Its has cost me time and money . Now i know ( i think) its not just varroa , it can bee poor stock.

[Mikey N.C.]

Same hive now?




No Q cells Saturday.