# How to kill a queen



## MDS (Jan 9, 2011)

I've not heard of any way to do that without another queen being raised by the same hive.


----------



## Kingfisher Apiaries (Jan 16, 2010)

MDS thinking he is trying to figure out how to kill mass numbers of queens without having to find every one.....
Worked in a large operation this spring and we tried to find every single one...this could be a interesting thread :0
Mike


----------



## fish_stix (May 17, 2009)

The thumb and forefinger method is the surest method. Just squeeze until you get that satisfying little pop and guts ooze out all over your fingers.


----------



## Joseph Clemens (Feb 12, 2005)

Dropping them into a small bottle of Everclear has worked for me, 100% effective.


----------



## Kingfisher Apiaries (Jan 16, 2010)

Thumb and Hive tool is the fastest.


----------



## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

A strong formic blast was mentioned somewhere previously. I do not know the dose or technique but it seemed a very interesting idea. Lord knows I've managed to kill enough queens with formic without meaning to!

And it would clean out all the mites at the same time.


----------



## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

Drop a ripe queen cell in the top bars right under the top cover. She'll emerge and the old queen will disappear.


----------



## greenbeekeeping (Feb 13, 2003)

When I was in Indiana several of us would use queen cells to requeen our hives. Placed them up higher in the hive and they would treat it like a supercedure cell.


----------



## MDS (Jan 9, 2011)

Would add a couple of steps but what about a queen excluder and fume board to drive them down with the queens left behind. At least an easier way to find them. Sorry does not answer the entire question and I've never tried it myself so can't say it would actually work.

Kingfisher: Thanks for the conformation I see what he is getting at now. 

This is going to be an interesting topic because he has to find out how to make the bees think there is a problem with the queen to do it the way he is suggesting if the ripe queen cell does not work well for him. 

Maybe he should have kept this to himself and come up with a pheromone that you can put in a hive or something that masks her pheromone (new invention in the works $$) or whatever. My mind is running away with ideas that meet his goals, sorry if I ramble.


----------



## treebee (Mar 7, 2009)

Early morning search, she will normally be in the brood area. Pinch squish toss away from hive to end her smell in the hive.after the heat of day gets on she is a lot harder to find. Or just do as previosly suggested and put a ripe cell in and cross fingers...


----------



## Beeslave (Feb 6, 2009)

Kieth Jarret mentioned in a post last year on here about using formic acid at 90%(or 95). Soaking blue shop towels in it and then placing the towels on the top of the hive(under the cover of course). 2-3 days later another towel is put on. A day or 2 after that a cell is put in.


----------



## Honey-4-All (Dec 19, 2008)

Trapper and Slave

If i remember correctly Mr Blue boxes does use FA. Not sure about the concentration or application methods. All I can say is that if Keith does it it is most likely not only an effective method but also an efficient time saving one at that. I remember him once telling me he could re queen hundreds a day with such a method.


----------



## swarm_trapper (Jun 19, 2003)

Thanks all for the ideas i have heard of the Formic method but i wanted to know if any one else had tried it or knew of other methods. LOL thanks for the hive tool and finger method of killing them i figured id get a few of those. I have done the cell in the super many times but am not quite happy with it, it seems to be a hit and miss deal. thanks for the comments keep them coming
regards Nick


----------



## Honey-4-All (Dec 19, 2008)

Two things. Keith is into efficiency. If he does it it is bound to work and work well. Secondly. Use of cells and the success rate in doing so has a lot to do with orientation. If you were to Google earth his yards (your on your own on this one) you would see we he has a higher success rate with cells than many California beeks because of a couple of factors. He places them how and where it will work. This has to do with layout pattern of the hives, terrain, and nearby foliage. Flat square layouts with no flight markers will kill your cell success rate. Best wishes


----------



## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

Assuming the OP does not wish to fist find the queen, a bee blower can be use to blow the bees out of the brood chamber at a distance from the original location, and then returned to the original location. The field bees know the way back, and usually the queen does not, especially if she is clipped. 

Crazy Roland


----------



## Adrian Quiney WI (Sep 14, 2007)

If you invent a chemical you should trademark it as Regicide.


----------



## Tom G. Laury (May 24, 2008)

There was a large successful beekeeper in Madera who searched many years for a pheromone or chemical that would initiate queen killing.

He had already named it; Sic em. To my knowledge he never found what he was looking for.


----------



## Beeslave (Feb 6, 2009)

Roland,
How many young bees are left where they are blown out?


----------



## rocky1 (Jul 19, 2009)

What sort of weather conditions is Keith using the Formic Acid method under? Could there be issues with 90 degrees and 85% humidity here in the south, versus the weather conditions in California?


----------

