Little update about success with placing 2 qcells separated with qe. I managed today to open only 4 colonies today - all have laying queens. In one is 1 queen, in two are 2 queens ( I have now two extra queens to play with), in fourth by observing split colony, below is also queen, but didn't started to lay - any day soon will ( didn't manage actually to see her). I will check and sort the rest when I have more time, will write the result.. So far, the result is nice..
Placing 2 cells with a queen excluder
- Thread starter Goran
- Start date
I have bigger sample now, still not finished, but here are some results:
23 colonies with system 1+1, of that number following:
0 queens - 4 colonies ( one was with Q which had some failure and not laying, I removed her)
1 queen - 11 colonies ( of which 2 had 2 queens but second queen in these colonies weren't laying and I removed them)
2 queens - 8 colonies
So overall I have more queens than colonies I use ( 27Q), extra queens to play. Also interesting to me in practice shown when adding only 1 qc per colony how hazardous it is.. So far seems this way will be my future way ( if I am not lazy
).Update - only 3 colonies left to check, the rest: 28 colonies with 1+1, I got 30 queens with sealed WB. In 5 colonies were total failure ( missing both or DLQ or not laying for long), which I compensate from surplus of queens with double success..
This is for me good, after the extractions I can use such Q replacement with less worry. Also it is possible to do it with leaving old Q down and only adding qcell above. So if upper qcell failed You still have queen which didn't stop laying.. This is maybe even better..
Possibilities for playing are many..
This is for me good, after the extractions I can use such Q replacement with less worry. Also it is possible to do it with leaving old Q down and only adding qcell above. So if upper qcell failed You still have queen which didn't stop laying.. This is maybe even better..
Possibilities for playing are many..
Nice work Goran. Have you tried this leaving the old Q in with success? I think it is less likely to work as well as your main experiment did, as the old Qs pheromones will still be in the hive. But! A double screen board would solve that issue and you only need a couple of frames (one brood, one food) above a D/screen to produce a Q.
Since I am using qe with entrance from beginning of my beekeeping in practice I know it works. The reason - every season when I lift brood above qe and when I miss some egg and they raise new queen above, or when I am certain that no eggs are possible above occur new queen due to some virgin miss the hive and enter in super.. This way I was encouraged to do by my mentor, and I said why not. Now I like it. I can now use all hives to raise queens above - since I don't have too many colonies I can do it.
So setup is qe with entrance moved to back of the hive, lifted 2 bf mainly open and qcell.
Finished..
The rest of 3 colonies: 2 with 2 queens with sealed wb. Third final is the failure, but sealed wb present in bottom box, varroa struck it hard.. and started robbing - lot of dead bees in front of a hive, presumably queen was gone in the fight. It seems isn't corelated to this system but I count it as a failure.. I am more curious about varroa in this particular colony..
So final counting:
31 colonies used, I got 34 queens.. I think will use this in my practice with different variations.. For my beekeeping is OK.
The rest of 3 colonies: 2 with 2 queens with sealed wb. Third final is the failure, but sealed wb present in bottom box, varroa struck it hard.. and started robbing - lot of dead bees in front of a hive, presumably queen was gone in the fight. It seems isn't corelated to this system but I count it as a failure.. I am more curious about varroa in this particular colony..
So final counting:
31 colonies used, I got 34 queens.. I think will use this in my practice with different variations.. For my beekeeping is OK.