Is this my queen?

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Is this my queen?

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tai haku

Joined: 17 Apr 2011
Posts: 472

Posted: Sat Jun 11, 11 3:21 pm Post subject: Is this my queen?

So I'm pretty new here and I'm also new to bees. I took an evening class over winter and got my swarm 3 weeks ago and they had 2 weeks of taking a kilo of sugar a day as syrup feed. Today I took my first proper look in the hive.

I have brood in the brood box and they've drawn out all but 2 of the frames in the brood box so I just put a super on.

All appears to be going well but being a total newb I'm gonna ask what I'd guess is a classic newb question if I may: Is this my queen?

oliver90owner

Joined: 11 Jul 2009
Posts: 85

Posted: Sat Jun 11, 11 4:20 pm Post subject:
The queen is in the second pic. RAB

tai haku

Joined: 17 Apr 2011
Posts: 472

Posted: Sat Jun 11, 11 4:28 pm Post subject:

oliver90owner wrote:

The queen is in the second pic.

RAB

Thanks RAB - first pic was just something I uploaded to show someone else my larvae and I thought I'd put it in whilst I was here as a scene setter.

Interestingly the guy who brought me the swarm mentioned the person who'd found them thought the queen was marked - I guess not!

oliver90owner

Joined: 11 Jul 2009
Posts: 85

Posted: Mon Jun 13, 11 3:09 pm Post subject:

Feeding 14 kilos of sugar into June for a prime swarm is a bit OTT, but you may be in one of the areas where forage has been impossible to get for the last month?

I am just about to have a quick look into a very small cast swarm (2 swarms thrown together - a little less than 3/4 of a kilo of bees) collected at the beginning of May. last time I looked they were jam packed in a 6 frame nuc, so I shifted them into a Dartington. I initially added a part-frame of stores and frame with a small patch of emerging brood to help them on their way, and nothing since. I will post back on their present development. I am in Lincolnshire (just).

Regards, RAB

Lorrainelovesplants

Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 6521
Location: Dordogne

Posted: Mon Jun 13, 11 6:31 pm Post subject:
nice queen

oliver90owner

Joined: 11 Jul 2009
Posts: 85

Posted: Tue Jun 14, 11 7:26 pm Post subject:

Checked out most of my hives, including some splits today.

The colony moved into the Dartington has 'mostly' drawn another frame and is still storing a small surplus. The important thing is the brood nest is expanding.

The splits (3 frames) are either laying, or look as though they are about to start brooding, and all have sufficient stores until the next inspection. All the rest checked were storing very moderate amounts of nectar, 2 were given an extra super and another will get one next time around.

I expect the few left to check tomorrow will be doing similarly or much better. I am not even considering feeding before my next inspections and quite confident that none will be needed then.

I have part-filled extra deep boxes on a couple of colonies which will convert my splits into 6 frame nucs should I wish, although most will be used for queen changes. Apart from the odd kilo of sugar, mostly to aid them early in spring, I have not fed sugar, in any large amounts, for the last 5 or 6 years. Just not required.

Perhaps I am lucky, or don't pinch as much honey as some do, and live in a good area - I know some had colonies which produced a 'negative' amount of honey last year, particularly in the north west.

Regards, RAB

dangerous

Joined: 01 Feb 2010
Posts: 27

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 11 4:30 pm Post subject:

oliver90owner wrote:

Perhaps I am lucky, or don't pinch as much honey as some do, and live in a good area - I know some had colonies which produced a 'negative' amount of honey last year, particularly in the north west.

Regards, RAB

North West bees love sugar............they are thriving on it this year

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