# Banking Queens



## Dave W (Aug 3, 2002)

QUEEN BANKS - Queens held in storage are referred to as "banked queens". For a few days, queens can be simply kept in their shipping cages and held in a dark place in your home. To hold queens longer, put them in a colony having a strong population of young nurse bees. If storing queens 5 to 7 days, simply lay shipping cage on top bars of brood frames. To routinely store queens, use a nursery frame (photo - BC 12/02, p45).

STANDARD SIZED COLONIES - A “full sized” queen bank is run much like a cell builder used to finish cell construction [BC, 5/06, p40]. A young, vigorous “host” queen is kept in an 8- or 10-frame brood chamber. Every wk the open brood she has produced is moved to a second box above a queen excluder. If queen is not seen, gently shake or brush brood frames to remove enough bees to eliminate chance of transferring queen into the bank. Move empty brood frames to bottom hive body; extracting any filled w/ nectar or syrup. Alternate up to 2 queen-holding frames between frames of open brood. Each frame holder may contain 30 to 60 queens. Banked queens should be of the same age and genetic makeup. Given a choice, worker bees select queens of similar genetics and care for them better than “foreign” queens of unrelated stock. Do not mix young virgin queens w/ old mated queens, this may put one group at risk. Feed constantly, preferably w/ a division board feeder or top feeder to reduce robbing. Queen laying eggs in their cages is a very good sign of good storage conditions. Equipment must be bee tight so host queen cannot get in to bank. Once she starts egg-laying in holding area, the other queens die quickly.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

There are no guarantees when banking queens, but that should work pretty well.


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## sierrabees (Jul 7, 2006)

The only thing I would worrey about is really cold weather. Unless the double deep is very strong in both boxes, I would worrey that the bees might cluster down in the bottom with the free queen and brood, leaving the banked queens without enough bees to keep them warm.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

>Unless the double deep is very strong in both boxes, I would worrey that the bees might cluster down in the bottom with the free queen and brood, leaving the banked queens without enough bees to keep them warm.


When I used to bank hundreds of queens, I used a strong colony that had its cluster located in the top of the hive. I removed inner cover, and placed a 7 wire excluder on top. 7 wire excluders have a strip of wood between every 7 wires. Root used to sell them. The queen cages were placed on the wood strips, screen side down...created a space between the cage screen and the wires. Then, a piece of wool cloth, cut to the size of the top of the hive was placed directly on the cages. A rim was added on the cloth, and the whole thing was covered. A couple weeks storage was no problem, and I had some go a month. I don't think I'd bank queens if you only need a few days delay. Just keep them in a warm place, and give a drop of water every day.


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## MichaelW (Jun 1, 2005)

Has anyone noticed the weather doesn't cooperate with farming?

So let me get this right. I need to store 15 queens for 5-7 days. I can pick a strong colony and simply place the shipping cage on top of the bars of frames with brood below. Do I take the individual shipping cages out of the shipping box? To make room, I'm guessing I'll need to remove some frames of the super above or use an empty super. 

Lows at night will be in 20's for four days.

Advise please? Is this banking better than making splits at 52 degrees?


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## Dan Williamson (Apr 6, 2004)

If you are nervous about making the splits at 52deg then just keep them in the house until the weather warms up... banking is alot of work for 4 days and 15 queens


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## BULLSEYE BILL (Oct 2, 2002)

*Banking queens*

>Queens held in storage are referred to as "banked queens". For a few days, queens can be simply kept in their shipping cages and held <snip>

Not according to Dam Purvis. According to Him if you keep them in the bank for any time at all after you get them they will die and it's your fault.

However, when I got queens from other sources I was able to keep them two and a half weeks with proper care and no losses.


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## MichaelW (Jun 1, 2005)

2 and a half weeks in your house, or in a hive? 

Not that I want to hold them that long, just wondering whats possible.


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## Korny's Korner (Mar 25, 2007)

Was just doing a search on cloake boards. It is advised to have young brood in upper super to ensure enough nurse bees to care for queens. Maybe a good idea read how it is done 

Korny


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## BULLSEYE BILL (Oct 2, 2002)

*Too many queens*



MichaelW said:


> 2 and a half weeks in your house, or in a hive?
> 
> Not that I want to hold them that long, just wondering whats possible.


----------------------------------------------------

In the bank in the house on the kitchen counter.

I ordered 25 queens and could not get them all installed the first weekend so I had to keep them until the next weekend when I figured out that I had too many queens. Then I made splits the following weekend after that.

The attendants were changed out every weekend and I misted the bank which had a sponge in it with light syrup.


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## Chrissy Shaw (Nov 21, 2006)

*I used 25 as my number*

I don't know what the limit is, but i used to bank no more than twenty-five in any banking colony. I would seperate the brood nest, making sure the queen was below, move up the younger brood on two frames either side of the bank frame and shake till it was pretty stocked with bees. The nurse bees come up for the younger brood and feed the queens as well. I made it so the queens were in the center of the banking frame.

I have thought, over the years, that i never checked what i noticed. Some queens attracted a great deal more attention than others, sometimes next to each other. I plan to see if such queens are better queens overall some time next year. I suspect bees know a great queen better than i do. If anyone else has tested this or even noticed this in banking queens i sure would like to know?

Chrissy


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>If anyone else has tested this or even noticed this in banking queens i sure would like to know?

I have not tested to see if they are better but have noticed and wondered the same thing. I wonder if a queen that makes more QMP makes the hive more productive.


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## Chrissy Shaw (Nov 21, 2006)

*Thanks Michael*

I was thinking around end of June on those queens, so would you be open for me testing the idea with them and another five from another source? I will be keepping tight records and if the idea holds water it might help in queen selection. I don't know of anyone else who has done that. My gut tells me bees know best and if it works out i will upfront it in breeder selection and nuc queens i raise here. Out of ten total there should be some indication as to the value of the idea.

Chrissy


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