# Queen failure rates?



## mark g (Jun 6, 2006)

Just wondering what kind failure rates everyone else is seeing. This spring in Texas I had what was my best mating percentage ever 92%. Now 2 months later I am seeing about 8% failure. I make my nucs above an excluder. I also place a parent yard within 2 or 3 miles in the center of 3 or 4 nuc yards. I wonder if I should be placing more drones in the nuc yards?


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

I wouldn't change much when you are catching 92%. 8% attrition 2 months out dosent sound to me like anything out of the ordinary, has it been less than that in previous years?


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## mark g (Jun 6, 2006)

No not really, but I usually miss more initially. Just had high hopes this year I guess.


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

A 92% mating indicates plenty of drones. Also did they start laying reasonably quickly after hatching? If so that is also a good indicator of plenty drones.

Over the years I've noticed a bigger early failure rate of mated queens when I had within the last year been lax with mite control then later there was high DWV because of it. The DWV may have been symptomless but lab testing showed on one occasion to my surprise levels in the bees were very high. After that I was aware of it and there seems top be a correlation.

All the same I would consider 8% attrition in 2 months extremely high, me anyway I don't think I've ever had anything anywhere near that.


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## crazylocha (Mar 26, 2013)

One of my sneaking suspicion with my bosses Queens, this year especially, is the mating flights being "short" by typical timing rotations. If given extra week, before being caged and put in production hives, they seem to have a higher take. No real data yet. We are in our summer shutdown and is topic of discussion over next few weeks. 

Wondering if a four week instead of 3 week makes a difference with all our storms. What is your timings?


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## Broke-T (Jul 9, 2008)

We run a 3 week schedule and usually run a catch rate in the low 80's after first round which is lower. The reason 4 weeks will get an increase is that nucs that didn't accept cell I planted will have a laying queen that they raised. I don't think it will be from late mated planted queens.

Johnny


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## Fusion_power (Jan 14, 2005)

Are they being superseded? If so, look back at conditions the day of grafting. Something was not right.


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