# Temperatures at night for queen rearing



## JSL (Sep 22, 2007)

It is not ideal. In my area the cooler night time temps can be a challenge, especially if the bees are pulling into a cluster. A well stocked box helps, with entrance reduced. Make sure they have plenty of pollen, syrup and water if they are going to be confined due to the weather. I just use a thin syrup to supply the stimulation and the water together. Keep the cells more towards the center of the bars. Acceptance and completion can sometimes be an issue if temps are too cold. 

The next challenge comes with the nucs. Those little units just don't hold up as well in the cold nights...

Also if it is still cool, make sure you have enough drones coming along.


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

JSL said:


> It is not ideal. In my area the cooler night time temps can be a challenge, especially if the bees are pulling into a cluster. A well stocked box helps, with entrance reduced. Make sure they have plenty of pollen, syrup and water if they are going to be confined due to the weather. I just use a thin syrup to supply the stimulation and the water together. Keep the cells more towards the center of the bars. Acceptance and completion can sometimes be an issue if temps are too cold.
> 
> The next challenge comes with the nucs. Those little units just don't hold up as well in the cold nights...
> 
> Also if it is still cool, make sure you have enough drones coming along.



:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


Great answer........Thanks for saving me the typing time. Dead on correct.


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## snapper1d (Apr 8, 2011)

I have always made split during spring but with marshmaster's post I am a little curious as to what low temperatures you can go during queen rearing.


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

marshmasterpat said:


> Was going to try today to set up some grafts but after looking at the weather forecast I am bumping that attempt to the end of the week. But started thinking about it, surely there are some folks that played with this issue before.
> 
> According the dice tossers, opps weather forecasters,  the next three nights will have temps down to 36, 34, and 38 degrees respectively. The daily temps will barely top 50 tomorrow, then high 62 the next two days. Will this type temperatures cause issues bees starting queen cells.
> 
> ...


I think I would "cool my heals" for a few days. Not that it couldn't be done but a little warmer weather will certainly make things go better for you. BTW excellent advise from Joe. I have seen very good cells raised with some snow on the lids (a rare occurrence of course) but only if the conditions in the preceding days were favorable.


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## Specialkayme (Sep 4, 2005)

Two years ago the weather report was calling for mid 50's and low 60's for the next week, then peaking into the mid 60's the following week (I think it was early March, if memory serves me right). Night time temps were mid to low 40's. I figured it was the perfect time to do some grafts and get ready for my main swarm date, April 1. 

I did some grafts, then it started to snow. I was pulling cells in 3" of snow (VERY rare for my area, we usually only get one or two snow dustings a year, and even at that it's usually an inch or less). I thought they were a gonner.

I ended up keeping the cells close to the center of the broodnest on the builder, then keeping them very warm while I transplanted them to their mating nucs. It helped that I massively overstocked the builder with bees, as I tend to do. That helped out alot. The cells that I placed in regular colonies for requeening purposes fared well, the 3 frame mating nucs not so well. Luckily it warmed up enough by the time they needed to do mating flights.

I'm usually more concerned about average day temps than I am about average night temps when grafting. As long as there are plenty of bees in the center of the cluster, they will be able to regulate the cells just fine, whether it's 12 degrees or 112 degrees outside. But if it doesn't get warm enough by the time the mating flights need to take place, then you've got issues. Those little mating nucs can't regulate temps as well, and the little queen doesn't want to take a polar bear mating flight.


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## marshmasterpat (Jun 26, 2013)

marshmasterpat said:


> Looking at the next 30 days following Thursday on several of the long range weather forecasts sites, we should be ok with temperatures staying above 40 degrees.


Guess I should have clarified the 40 degrees temperatures was night time temperatures, the day time temperatures is predicted to be 50s to low 70s. That is predicted through the middle of March with only a day or two in the mid 40s at night.

Thanks for the advice, will probably wait until next weekend. The prediction for the days around when queens should start mating is 3 days of probably rain. It will give the others time to build even more. First few attempts will be between 5 to 10 cells. Just in case I am wildly successful, I just don't have that equipment for mating nucs and rapid expansion. If I get 10 on one pop, then I will have to rethink a few things. I do have equipment to handle that many, just planning on trying 4 to 8 mating nucs at an attempt. 

Thanks again


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