# Queens for Jan



## Gregg (Dec 22, 2003)

Yes, supposedly had 50 ordered for January. Got a call yesterday saying they weren't going to have any. Kind of leaves me in a quandary.


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## Susan (Aug 6, 2003)

Thanks Greg. Others around us has not gotten any calls yet. One more thing I did not need, but will get thru it.


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## busy bee apiary (Aug 7, 2010)

300 canceled for the second week of january notified yesterday.


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## gstephan1981 (Dec 21, 2009)

Whom were these coming from? If I may inquire.......


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## Gregg (Dec 22, 2003)

Mine were from Hawaiian Queen Co.


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

Was at a meeting for Queen breeders yesterday. One of the largest queen producers in the US told me their prices were going to be $18 at the bottom in 2011. He said the balance of 2010 queens were sold at 20 bucks and they should have asked more. A neighbor of mine is adding 2k mating nucs. The demand is there. Looks like everyone should plan on a buck or 2 more if they want queens in 0'11. Price of sugar and fuel climbing might make it go even higher.

BTW: Is the "weak" hive statement associated with any possible varroa problems in Hawaii or won't they say?


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## pahvantpiper (Apr 25, 2006)

Varroa and especially small hive beetle problems in Hawaii. It's the PERFECT climate for them to thrive.


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## Gregg (Dec 22, 2003)

Got a letter from another Co. in Hawaii; 200 queens for March cancelled! This really leaves me scrambling. Anybody have mated queens (or any suggestions, other than HI, that is) by about mid-March?


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## Beeslave (Feb 6, 2009)

If the weather cooperates you could set up in FL and raise what you need for yourself by mid march. You could have mated queens from cells at that time but they won't have been laying for long.


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## rrussell6870 (May 14, 2009)

SHB has caused the shut-down in HI... We will have plenty mated in march, but pretty booked up now running 12k mating nucs... so you can see how bad it is... We are setting up a few other locations in FL to be able to produce more and do so earlier and later.


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## Naturegoods (Mar 12, 2010)

While I have never been a fan of these cold NY winters, my bees have not been out of their hives for over a month already, it seems like a cleansing process getting rid of parasites, killing the weak and unprepared, only the strong kept and feral colonies will still be here in April to start the cycle again. Natural selection. Off topic.....yeah I know... but honestly queens in January here in the great white north? Why did I click this thread?


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## Susan (Aug 6, 2003)

Gregg,

If I hear of any I will let you know. Did you call Oliveras?


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

Pure speculation on my part.
1. Those early season Hawaiian queens have been diverted to a different group of bee suppliers. 
or
2.There is a legitimate shortage/problem with Hawaiian queen production which is sure to exacerbate the domestic bee shortage this spring.

Neither is pretty.

Best of luck


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

Unless the Potus gets his way on another historically bad idea and we get wage and price controls as in the Nixon era the only way the queen supply is going to get fixed is by the U.S. queen producers getting a couple more bucks a pop.

Anyone who thinks that importing queens internationally will solve this problem needs to have their clock cleaned. Not sure about you but I sure love tracheal, varroa, shb, nosema ceranae, and who knows what else that came with the last imports.

Makes beekkeping so much fun. 

Since were in the fun house already please don't advocate bringing in another attraction with cheap imported queens. 

Millions out of work and we can't raise enough ourselves. ?????????????

See ya.

Time to build more mating nucs so we can help the unemployment rolls at least a micro-fraction.


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## Kingfisher Apiaries (Jan 16, 2010)

Just out of curiosity, why do you want to have queens so early? Are they to boost hives to make splits late spring? How do you intro them in a time where the bees would not even think about requeening. 

mike


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

Many of these early queens are going into splits people are making before they go into the almonds. Although we don't do it I'm sure it makes some sense ($) if you don't mind working in the rain. Cut a double deep in half. Throw in a queen, massive pollen patty and a couple of gallons of syrup. Place in almonds and collect $300. Why didn't I think of that? We grow almond ourselves. If the frame count is up it will work. If your not going to throw in the money to boost them up once you do it you better not show up to pollinate almonds. It can be done and done right. If you wan't to know how to do it right you should mimic the king of this process. Best bees year after year in Northern California come from the guy who issued the famous quote: "your going to have to find your own bus."


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## Gregg (Dec 22, 2003)

Susan: talked to Oliveraz several months ago; was told at that time they didn't think they would have any in Jan, but would in March. Got the letter from them the other day they wouldn't have any either in Jan or March.


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## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

Honey-4-All said:


> Best bees year after year in Northern California come from the guy who issued the famous quote: "your going to have to find your own bus."


Gee..... don't over do it Phill.


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## simplyhoney (Sep 14, 2004)

I was on the Big Island in November. Drought, varroa, MAJOR hive bettle seemed to be my impression. Of course the major operations I spoke with said their bees were fine but their neighbors were having some serious troubles. (Funny each one said that)

Keith, thanks for getting back with me:<


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## rrussell6870 (May 14, 2009)

Shb can wipe out thousands of mating nucs in a day.... The HI operations are having a major "cleanup" while they are trying to build new wax for there nucs. One thing that those of us with a winter (no matter how short it is) take for granted is that we get good flows for building wax... the year round "trickle" can be frustrating... and all that syrup is like making a road out of skittles for beetles... so feeding nucs in may equals starting over the next spring.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

Honey-4-All said:


> you should mimic the king of this process. Best bees year after year in Northern California come from the guy who issued the famous quote: "your going to have to find your own bus."


Where can I find the original thread where Mr. Patty made this now famous Quote?
Out of context I don't get it.


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

Regarding my comments in the end of #17. 

Theres a difference between bragging about yourself and being glad for the accomplishments of others. Its easy to talk highly about oneself. Not necessarily so regarding others. When someone is good enough to keep bees flourishing in this environment as well as "your own bus" they need to be commended. Be that Keith or anyone else. This business has thrown a lot of good, long time operators "under the bus" ever since the mites hit.


All the junk happening to the bees has turned a great "job" into what now can be described as a endless "pile of work." Its been turning us into bee babysitters instead of beekeepers. (Don't take this to mean I don't still love it)


Most folks who keep bees aren't doing it for the money primarily. The majority of the commercial folks and the hobbyist beeks I know have what should be called bee-fever. Some more than others. If you keep bees and don't have some of "the fever" your like a cowboy without a horse. Riding nowhere slowly. Beekeeping is a lifestyle for those who love it. To continue with the horse analogy: When your horse is lame you walk beside it. Thats what the mainlander beeks have been doing for quite a while now. Looks like another part of the beekeeping Cavalry is now going to have to jump off and walk because of "friendly fire". 

I hate to think that the good folks in Hawaii are now about to get the road kill treatment like the mainlanders have just because some selfish person(s) who was most likely primarily motivated by money and not the love of bees

((you can throw in your own expletive here if you'd like as I'm not allowed to use one))

decided to sneak things into Hawaii. I'm sure these pests did not just swim to Hawaii on their own. Anybody remember Florida in 87. 

Seeing all those stacks of deadouts on the east side of 5 last February made me sick even though they weren't my boxes. Must have been 10k in those three yards. Thinking that possibly a worse thing is about to happen in the best queen rearing region our country has makes me even more sick. 

In the spirit of Christmas I hope and pray that the folks in Hawaii make it through this better than the mainland has. The people who do will get a tip of the hat just like 'your own bus" and others who have figured out a way to persevere through the difficulties. 
:applause::applause::applause::applause:


Merry Christmas and a full super of a new Year everyone.


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## rrussell6870 (May 14, 2009)

Well said... HI is a major necessity for our industry... having pest troubles does NOT mean that they have poor quality bees... their isolated environment is wonderful for producing queens, but is also at constant risk of major troubles from imports... 

They simply fell victim to an issue that I was just posting about in another thread about importing bees... I have often wondered why HI did not operate their borders like NZ does... bees out/semen in... this shuts down a lot of the pest risk... one package with 20+/- beetles would be enough to do this to HI... 

They will get back up again though... like you, I sure hope no one tries to "throw them under the bus"... they are an essential part of our nations operations... we ALL should be praying for them.


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

We have had more than our share of requests from Newbees who wanted us to ship packages to Hawaii. Some from people there but often not it would be from someone wanting to send them as "gifts". Each time I would get such a request I would politely tell them NO. 

If it wasn't a queen breeder sneaking queens in that caused the varroa problem it was most likely someone sending something they shouldn't have.

This looks like it might be a bigger problem than some realize. Not only for the guys in Hawaii but those who are buying them on the mainland. Looks like beeks who aren't in Africanized or SHB territory but yet situated where they can produce "early" queens need to ratcheted up their business. If we get a cold and rainy March in California's queen country the national queen supply is going to be "poor" to say the least. 400k queens are not going to come out of thin air. 

I was wondering what was up. We have been getting more than the usual amounts of requests for queens from international buyers.


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## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

WoW...

I like to use the term " thrown under the bus" because It happens alot in this business, got a small load (52) of bees burned up this year, fed one load (200) eight gallons this fall before I found out another keeper was stealing my syrup, on & on... Oh yeah, and now my queens from HI are 20 dollars a peice. I try not to dwell on the negitives, the view is much better underneath the bus. lol


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

I think it is important to point out that there is no evidence that I am aware of that these infestations were done intentionally. If it is found to have been intentional than it is certainly criminal but there are lots of ways that it could have happened inadvertently, a lot of ships of all sizes come and go from the Islands every day, all it takes is one "stowaway" hive to get things started. Gus at Kona Queen has felt for years it is more a matter of when than if it happens.


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## fish_stix (May 17, 2009)

I think it has been pretty much investigated and proven that the original SHB invasion into FL came from ships bringing fruit into our ports. SHB are not only honey and pollen scavengers but fruit eaters too. Tough to stop these things with the global trade in every commodity. Like Russell mentioned above it only takes a very few SHB to quickly multiply and inundate a region. And the HI climate is ideal for them.


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## rrussell6870 (May 14, 2009)

Jim and fish are right... HI has a major fruit crop, soft rich soils, and perfect temps for shb... I don't really believe that anyone sabotaged them... just pray for them and as soon as they are back in operation, show them some support by using their services again.


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## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

rrussell6870 said:


> soft rich soils,.


Not really, Talk to Ray earlier this week,he said, many are on lava cap.


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## rrussell6870 (May 14, 2009)

They are on lava cap, but the lava gets covered by soft sediments and topsoil from the tradewinds and breakdown of the cap. Gus says that their volcano has been pretty active the last few years, which means a lot of ash and warmer soils as well as seismic vibrations increasing the breakdown of the cap.

Beetles don't only reproduce in hives... the large varieties of fruits there will be the toughest thing to control.


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