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Author Topic: Testing for Acceptance Before Requeening  (Read 5926 times)

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Offline MudSongs

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Testing for Acceptance Before Requeening
« on: July 30, 2019, 12:06:41 pm »
This is how I've come to test a queenless colony before I install a mated queen.  I'm sure most experienced beekeepers know this little trick very well.  I'm not trying to promote my beekeeping blog (I don't make a dime off it).  I just thought it might be helpful to anyone just starting out.





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- Phillip Cairns
Isle of Newfoundland
47°42'34.2"N 52°42'49.9"W
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Offline tecumseh

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Re: Testing for Acceptance Before Requeening
« Reply #1 on: August 01, 2019, 07:59:16 am »
nice video.... a beekeeper in Austin Texas produced a similar video... he works pretty closely with my friends at BWeaver....  I see If I can locate his video...
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Offline Bakersdozen

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Re: Testing for Acceptance Before Requeening
« Reply #2 on: August 01, 2019, 09:34:01 am »
Nice video, Mudsongs.  For the benefit of beginners, I would add that you place the screened side of the queen cage facing so the workers, in the queenless colony, can reach her and take care of her.  Other wise, that is pretty much how I do it. 
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Offline MudSongs

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Re: Testing for Acceptance Before Requeening
« Reply #3 on: August 01, 2019, 10:49:10 am »
"I would add that you place the screened side of the queen cage facing so the workers..."

Good point.  The screen side is facing the workers in the video, but I don't mention that in the video.

I'm making this little test a standard procedure for myself now.  I had trouble requeening with some Russian queens a few years ago.  I think I  had four mated Russian queens, and all but one of them were killed in the cage.  Apparently this is not uncommon in Russian queens, especially if the queenless colony isn't of Russian stock.

This simple test of seeing how the bees react to the queen in her cage may have saved me some trouble.  I'm not sure there's any foolproof method of ensuring a mated queen is accepted, but I think this little method doesn't hurt.
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- Phillip Cairns
Isle of Newfoundland
47°42'34.2"N 52°42'49.9"W

Offline Mikey N.C.

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Re: Testing for Acceptance Before Requeening
« Reply #4 on: August 01, 2019, 05:44:37 pm »
Good video, did that this year, use to just put cage in and look5 days later. This way you know.



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Offline MudSongs

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Re: Testing for Acceptance Before Requeening
« Reply #5 on: November 09, 2020, 08:29:02 pm »
I would add to this that even when the bees seem ready to accept a queen, it doesn't mean that ALL the bees in the hive are ready to accept the queen, so it's not a bad idea to keep the queen in the cage for at least 4-7 days afterwards, just to make sure they all get a good whiff of her and accept her.  It only takes a dozen or so bees out of a colony of thousands to kill a queen if they're not ready to accept her.
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- Phillip Cairns
Isle of Newfoundland
47°42'34.2"N 52°42'49.9"W

Offline Zweefer

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Re: Testing for Acceptance Before Requeening
« Reply #6 on: November 10, 2020, 10:08:09 pm »
Nice addition, thanks!


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Keeping of bees is like the direction of sunbeams.
Henry David Thoreau
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