# Feb. Queens???



## RicDuck (Sep 9, 2005)

Where do you get your early queens?

Thanks


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## BigDaddyDS (Aug 28, 2007)

In February??

(I really want to say something like, "Austrailia".)

You need temperatures warm enough for a parent queen to lay larvae to become a queen. Temps warm enough and long enough to produce young bees that'll make the royal jelly. Temps warm enough to work wax to make and cap a queen cell. Temps consistent enough to not chill the brood. (Although eggs and larva are more resilient to cool temperature than we give them credit for. Low moisture appears to be a different story, however.) And, lastly, non-rainy, warm weather that'd good for mating flights. Oh! And let's not forget about having enough drones for the virgin queen to mate with, also.

(I think I should have stuck with the short answer... "Austrailia".)

DS


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## RicDuck (Sep 9, 2005)

I really want to know who is supplying queens for the splits coming off of almonds. Australia is last on the list because of all the possible problems. Looking for 60-90 queens early if any commercial guys are over booked.


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## jesuslives31548 (May 10, 2008)

I know gardener /spell bee company in Baxley Ga has queens this time of year sometime.


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## BeeAware (Mar 24, 2007)

I know a few beekeepers who order Hawaiian queens this time of the year. I think this is the # 888 485-2244.


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

>>Australia is last on the list because of all the possible problems.

I have been getting queens from New Zeland for better than 10 years now, they have worked out just fine for me,
Though I have been getting the majority of my queens from California since they started comming across


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## jean-marc (Jan 13, 2005)

*Nz is not Australia*

Ian:

NZ may have worked out OK for you but, they cannot ship to the USA. 
RicDuck, if I were you I'd order from Hawaii. Get your order in early because many beekeepers will be in the same boat as you.

Jean-Marc


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## Broke-T (Jul 9, 2008)

*Banked Fall queens*

I have herd that a lot of the early queens have been banked over the winter from the previous fall and they are not the best.

Anybody know about this?

Johnny


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## BEES4U (Oct 10, 2007)

*I have herd that a lot of the early queens*

I have over wintered fall bred queens in nucs and then sold them in spring so that I could put in the new queeen cells.
Ernie


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## Trevor Mansell (Jan 16, 2005)

Miksa in Florida has cells starting in Feb.


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## Action (Jan 8, 2005)

*Queens*

Hawaii!


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## RicDuck (Sep 9, 2005)

Tried Hawai - no go. Queen cells maybe but trying to cover cost of traveling to TX and selling excess nucs from queens bred early in Tx may reduce future repeat customer (AHB).


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## Panhandle Bee man (Oct 22, 2003)

Olivarez's
Kona Queens

Are the main producer's at this time of year.


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## dbest (Aug 9, 2005)

I used Aussie's last year and I have a standing order for another 1000 this year. They get the job done. I go throught and replace them starting in July. I figure that by that time I've gotten my money back.


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## swarm_trapper (Jun 19, 2003)

i had an order in jan for 300 queens from HI but they cancelled out on me i know a few other guys they did that too this year. but i do have an order for 800 in mid march from HI. the trick with HI is you have to order early i placed my spring order in july last year. Nick


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## dbest (Aug 9, 2005)

about how much are the queens going for from HI ?


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## BEES4U (Oct 10, 2007)

*splits coming off of almonds*

Are you making the splits in California?
Ernie


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

>>Nz is not Australia 

Ya, I realize that,. Didnt know NZ hadnt had access to the US market as Australia does, 
what I was trying to relay was the queens I used, that were shipped from the other side of the world, did infact work out reall good for my opertion,


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

Just to comment on standing in line for queens,

I have, and I always seemed to get cut back and left me in a position of having to look for queens from somewhere to make up for what I needed.


Why not buy from some of the good suppliers from further south, or California? Good bees, good breeding programs, good queens, good price. Forget standing in line,


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## dbest (Aug 9, 2005)

BEES4U said:


> Are you making the splits in California?
> Ernie


No I'm splitting in Georgia and Florida. Right after they get back and some in the oranges.


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## swarm_trapper (Jun 19, 2003)

so are you getting those queens in late march denny?


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## dbest (Aug 9, 2005)

Right now my order is for Feburary 30th. Last year I banked them when they arrived.


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## jean-marc (Jan 13, 2005)

DBest:

Now I see where all your problems are coming from, there's no such thing as a Feb 30.

Jean-Marc


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## dbest (Aug 9, 2005)

LOL that's awesome!!...my conformation e mail actually says the 30th, and apparently I wasn't smart enough to notice...I'm thinking I need to make a phone call.


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## dbest (Aug 9, 2005)

I got it figured out. I'm getting 500 the 1st week of March (date unknown) and the other 500 the second week.


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