# How long can queens be kept in cage in hive



## rrussell6870 (May 14, 2009)

Rick,

Guess I'm one of those suppliers. inch: 

I just got the first chance to get to the forums after a long time of heavy field work and replied to your post on my site earlier tonight. Rest assured, your queens (at least the ones from me) will be there Friday or Saturday, as I have upgraded just about every order to receive Express shipping, even if they had paid for priority. Its the least that I could do after all the weather delays that we are all facing this year. Your queens were caged today and will ship tomorrow morning. If I remember correctly, you have ordered from me before, do you remember if the mail from me to you took longer than normal? Since its cutting it so close, I can UPS overnight them, just to be sure.

To answer your question about banking them... Yes, a friend can pick them up, so long as the signature is waived by the shipper. Banking is easy so long as you have a queenless hive with plenty of bees and food... they can just leave the corks in the cages and place them between frames (screen down) along the lower edge of the topbars, in the center of the cluster (where some capped brood would be is ideal, but not completely needed in a pinch)... the bees in the hive will feed the queens and tend to them until you can get to them and use them.

Hope this helps and sorry for not being able to get back to you sooner!


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## rmdial (Jun 30, 2009)

At this point I need them overnight. I appreciate your efforts and that you are going thru extreme difficulties. I get nervous when I cannot get replies and do not know what is going on. I would rather get timely bad news than sit around wondering what is happening. If you could confirm overnight shipment along with a tracking number so I can get an accurate delivery time I would appreciate it.

Thank you for the reply.


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## jrbbees (Apr 4, 2010)

I think this year is being a nightmare for everyone in one way or another.


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## rmdial (Jun 30, 2009)

I understand things happen that delay and challenge businesses. Lack of communication and ignoring my communications is what disturbs me. I gave ample warning to both suppliers when I needed queens. If they knew they could not deliver then they should have let me know, cancelled and refunded and I would have understood. But to not communicate is disappointing to say the least.

I will now take a deep breathe and move forward.


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## fish_stix (May 17, 2009)

In the big scheme of things this is a minor infestation of crabgrass in the lawn of life! Calm down and handle your problem.


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

Forgive me for the obvious question, but if this friend is competent enough to place queens in a bank, wouldn't they be competent enough to actually do the requeening? I could foresee you getting to colonies queenless today going back through them just prior to your departure. This is a big advantage of beekeeping clubs - you can get a knowledgeable helping hand when needed.


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## rmdial (Jun 30, 2009)

Very good point but I am not re-queening, I am doing some splits and buying some brood frames. But not knowing if and when I am getting queens leaves me without knowing when to take brood and is asking a friend to do a lot more work than I feel comfortable with. My bees are scattered around the area so getting brood frames and bees from several hives is also a lot to ask.

Thanks for the thought. I appreciate it. I will just keep working on it and try to stay calm and focused.


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## rrussell6870 (May 14, 2009)

Hey Rick,

They shipped UPS overnight air today... should arrive on a brown truck tomorrow morning. I sent you a pm on my site with the tracking number. Thanks.


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## LT (Aug 17, 2006)

Still no one answered the topic question.


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## hpm08161947 (May 16, 2009)

LT said:


> Still no one answered the topic question.


We put 200 in 2 queen banks and used them for 1 month. Of course as the end of the month approached there were very few left in the banks... but they were alive. I doubt you could keep them much longer than that.


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## Daniel Wasson (Jun 2, 2010)

If the weather keeps up the way it is, splits will be interesting to get done. I just received two queens this morning and they are in my sock drawer for now. There is not even a bee flying today with the wind and rain.


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## rrussell6870 (May 14, 2009)

LT said:


> Still no one answered the topic question.


Think I answered it in post #2 

That is a quick way to keep a few queens going in a pinch until they can be used.


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## hpm08161947 (May 16, 2009)

rrussell6870 said:


> Think I answered it in post #2


Russell... I think LT is suggesting you described "How to" nut wants to know "How long". I am thinking the max time in a good QB to be about 1 month... but are you suggesting that they can be maintained for an even longer period?


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

For me anyway, I've banked queens for better then 2 months. But that was without candy in the cage.

RmDial I'd suggest go ahead and make your splits ahead of time. Move them all to a nearby yard. Then when Roberts queens arrive all you have to do is put them in. And when the other queens arrive, all your buddy has to do is put them in. If enough time has elapsed, he should go through shake the bees off each brood comb to look for any queen cells and destroy them, when he puts the queen cages in.

Just a little organisation, and all can be accomplished.


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## Daniel Wasson (Jun 2, 2010)

Interesting thread from the archive on just this same question.

http://www.beesource.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-199055.html

Still windy here, but the rain has stopped, and it has warmed up enough that the bees are at least flying a little. If Rick were to make up a queen bank this eveining, put the queens in tomorrow when they arrive, he could make the splits when the weather is a lot better suited.

Rick, I assume you are the same guy I know that works at the wood tools outfit. I would be more than happy to lend a hand with this if needed.


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## rrussell6870 (May 14, 2009)

hpm08161947 said:


> Russell... I think LT is suggesting you described "How to" nut wants to know "How long". I am thinking the max time in a good QB to be about 1 month... but are you suggesting that they can be maintained for an even longer period?


Again, I do not bank my queens, as I want my buyers to get fresh queens with the the shortest period of unnatural withholding as possible... that said, Reg has developed a system of banking around 3,000 of them over the entire winter so that he has them available first thing in spring... his method is not much different than our winter cell raising method... he maintains queenless colonies inside a building giving the hive itself a consistent temp of 69 degrees, allows flight through a 12" tube that is 3/8", and literally keeps the colonies stocked with bulk bees all winter long while feeding pollen, substitute, and syrup the whole time. The idea is to keep the bees from clustering at all during the winter and provide fresh feed consistently coming in. He says he loses a few on the outer ends of the banks of course, but not too many... and for the most part, doesn't get too many complaints from people getting the queens in his early packages and his pollenation customers that buy the queens at a higher rate due to the extra early availability, do not see much difference...

Keeping in mind that those queens are not really tracked throughout the year to see if they are superseded, as they are in packages and the pollenation queens are usually put into nucs immediately following the almonds then resold.

But they do serve a purpose, and it does show that queens can be banked for as long as six months... 

This is just to be taken for personal knowledge... I do NOT recommend trying it and can NOT attest to the quality of queens that have been banked that long.


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## S&H (Feb 25, 2010)

t: Soapy, just curious, did you ever get your queens?


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