# I Wrongly Doubted My Bees



## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

It sounds like it's all going to work out fine. Next time you do this, ten days after removing the queen, go in and cut cells and make up mating nucs. The cells will emerge day 11 or 12 after removing the queen. You did fine this time, your hive will now have a new queen.


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## m0dem (May 14, 2016)

Yes, it should work out fine in the end. I did lose a queen cell, but I guess experience isn't always free!
I will remember the 10 day rule next time! Thanks.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

You can always check the charts:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesmath.htm
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesqueenrearing.htm#beekeepingmath

Instructions for basically what you were doing:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesafewgoodqueens.htm#Method


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## m0dem (May 14, 2016)

Yes, I use your bee math and techniques for a reference all the time!  Good stuff.


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## Gumpy (Mar 30, 2016)

I found this to be very helpful and well done. 

http://www.thebeeyard.org/queen-rearing-calendar/


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## m0dem (May 14, 2016)

Yes, I've got that one bookmarked already!


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## Bee scared (May 21, 2016)

How good is a queen like this compared to a bought queen from a queen breeder? 
Would this work in winter if you find a hive that is queenless?
Can you just steela queen from an existing hive and let the old hive requeen itself, in winter? Note im on the sunshine coast in queensland and we still get honey flows through out winter, never snows and may get down to 12 degrees c on its coldest days of the year.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>How good is a queen like this compared to a bought queen from a queen breeder? 

In my experience much better. They don't have the time to leave the queen laying for three weeks before pulling the queen and you do.

>Would this work in winter if you find a hive that is queenless?

Here? No. Do you have drones in the winter there and flying weather? If so, then it would probably work fine.


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## Bee scared (May 21, 2016)

Michael Bush said:


> >How good is a queen like this compared to a bought queen from a queen breeder?
> 
> In my experience much better. They don't have the time to leave the queen laying for three weeks before pulling the queen and you do.
> 
> ...


Thanks Mike, Yes its full on winter here but will be 21 to 23 degress C all week and I was only putting stickies on yesterday as supers are filling up. See another post where I have 2 hives with lots of drones.


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## m0dem (May 14, 2016)

Bee scared said:


> Thanks Mike, Yes its full on winter here but will be 21 to 23 degress C all week and I was only putting stickies on yesterday as supers are filling up. See another post where I have 2 hives with lots of drones.


Are you speaking of winter as a temperature range? Or a time of year?
If there are drones flying, it'll fly. Otherwise... drone-layer or no queen. Like MB said!


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## Bee scared (May 21, 2016)

m0dem said:


> Are you speaking of winter as a temperature range? Or a time of year?
> If there are drones flying, it'll fly. Otherwise... drone-layer or no queen. Like MB said!


All i was saying is, while it is winter where I live. Its still very warm compared to some areas of the planet. I think our winter is similar to UK Summer.


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## Bee scared (May 21, 2016)

Bee scared said:


> All i was saying is, while it is winter where I live. Its still very warm compared to some areas of the planet. I think our winter is similar to UK Summer.


My brother believes he has found another queenless hive full of drones.
what method would give us our greatest chance of saving it?

1. Take queen out of strong hive and place in queenless hive and allow strong hive to requeen?

2. Take a brood frame out of strong hive with nursebees and put into a nuc with honeyframe and then in 10 days if queen cells form brush nurse bees back into old strong hive and place frame with queen cells into queenless hive?

3. Just take a frame out of strong hive with eggs and larve, brush nurse bees off frame and place into queenless hive?? (This is my preferred method but concerned if queenless hive has no nurse bees it may not be looked after??)


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## Bee scared (May 21, 2016)

Bee scared said:


> My brother believes he has found another queenless hive full of drones.
> what method would give us our greatest chance of saving it?
> 
> 1. Take queen out of strong hive and place in queenless hive and allow strong hive to requeen?
> ...


Do we have to kill the bee laying drones?


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## m0dem (May 14, 2016)

I'm happy to say that after all this, I've got 100% mating success. 3 laying queens confirmed by day 33 (starting from egg being laid).
Just thought I'd update the thread.


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

Thanks so much for the update m0dem, glad to hear of your success!


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## sakhoney (Apr 3, 2016)

$75 bucks in the old pocket with that one Modem


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

Bees have a way of fixing my mistakes in the most positive way.

This spring I had a lot of strong colonies so I figured I'd super em up and pop the excluders on. Seemed brilliant at the time but very soon the plan back-fired. All of a sudden I had 20+ hives in swarm mode and was scrambling to do all the splits. (them plastic excluders) 

Luckily I'd invested in a 20 deeps and 10 mediums the fall before justin case. 
Within about 10 days I went from having stacks of boxes all ready to "where'd they all go ?!?"
Pretty sure it affected my honey harvest in a negative way but I'm bee rich now. Next spring is going to be wild if I have the same over-winter success rate as last year. Better build 70 or 80 deeps minimum. The foundations and frames are gonna cost. 
That's how fast this hobby can balloon on you. Went from a few to 20 to almost 50 in just fifteen months. 

Queens are around $40 a piece here so I'm saving and trying to raise every queen cell I can. It's fun and easy or sure seems like it.


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## m0dem (May 14, 2016)

Thanks for the support everyone!


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