Which queens to kill and which to save?

[@lambbrookfarm4528]

Kudos to the camera man! All good so far with less than 20% loss. I have a few hives to check on yet. Thanks for sharing, take care, Brice.

[@mcummings]

Great example of “real time” beekeeping. Thank you for sharing this - not always easy to assess hives and make instantaneous management decisions. I really appreciate “in the trenches” videos.

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@dannygroov]

Queen Spotted ! All dark, @7:35, she begins to move down to the left. Nice color !

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

Good eye! I so often miss dark queens!

[@woodlandharvesthoneycompanyllc]

I used your combine method for a weak hive on 3 colonies 2 weeks ago. I went back after 2 weeks and 2 of the 3 had built up and had 2 full frames of brood both sides. I moved them back on another bottom board and they are doing well. The third didn't make it. I think I was too late getting to them. Saving 2 out of 3 is great though so thank you.

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

Nice work!

[@tchaikovskyindieminer8834]

Could you have down sized the last hive to a five frame hive since they had a functioning Queen or would that not work? Love your down to earth approach to bee keeping.

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

Yes that is an option but all are frowing fast now.

[@tywilson64]

Very good!😊

[@williambates6811]

Could you combine the drone laying hive with the very small cluster to possibly save the good queen? I live in south central Maine and I was thinking my bees were behind where they should be until I watched this video. A very informative video.

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

Yes that was an option but I did want to show how they can be saved.

[@williambates6811]

@@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer I check my hives today and I discovered one was queenless. I combined the queenless hive with one that could use the extra bees.

[@apveening]

@@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer Combining the drone laying (and now queenless) hive with the small cluster hive would also save that queen with (in my opinion) better survival chances for that queen.

[@danrodbees7196]

Great video! I'd like to ask what the long screw is for above the entrance?

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

Holds the winter bee cozy up so it does not block the entrance

[@danrodbees7196]

@@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer Got it, thanks buddy!

[@Dalebees]

Would like to know what is the silver looking sheet that you put on top of the hive under the telescoping cover. Is it available to buy from a supply house? Thank you.

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

Foilbacked bubble wrap used to wrap water tanks etc... I buy it at homeimprovement stores.

[@denisestover2416]

You are a calculated and swift regicidal beekeeper, lol! I have a few questions, if you don't mind and could spare the time? 1. What race of bees do you have? 2. You mentioned that you could see some newborn bees. How can you tell? 3. I thought that it's wanted to have the genetics of a good colony be passed on through both queens and drones? 4. If a queen is laying many or only drones could she be mated again to pass on good genetics? Of course, I am assuming that this queen has run out of seminal fluid and that'swhy she's only(?) laying drones. 5. By assassinating the queen while she's among her that release an alarm pheromone - like when a worker is killed or stings? 6. Would it have been more prudent to clip the queen and assassinate her elsewhere? 7. Could you post how the "newspaper" colony combination turned out? 8. Why did you not remove the paper remnants of the mite control strips from the hives? I've numbered the questions just in case you do reply it is easier to reference. Thank you for sharing your bee stories and experience.

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

1. What race of bees do you have? Saskatraz 2. You mentioned that you could see some newborn bees. How can you tell? They are silver in color. 3. I thought that it's wanted to have the genetics of a good colony be passed on through both queens and drones? yes generally unless you have a different plan. 4. If a queen is laying many or only drones could she be mated again to pass on good genetics? Of course, I am assuming that this queen has run out of seminal fluid and that'swhy she's only(?) laying drones. No she mates on only one occasion in her life. 5. By assassinating the queen while she's among her that release an alarm pheromone - like when a worker is killed or stings? ?dont know. 6. Would it have been more prudent to clip the queen and assassinate her elsewhere? No 7. Could you post how the "newspaper" colony combination turned out? Too long ago! but they work out 95% of the time.

[@denisestover2416]

@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer Thank you!

[@anthonymauceri8919]

When scraping wet off of a plastic foundation, do you have to remove all the wax like a brand new foundation piece or could you just leave a little of the wax on and apply new wax over that?

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

I never take the wax off the foundation unless its build wierd.

[@AndrewAHayes]

I dont think you are in the UK looking by the style of pallet you have your hives on, are you in the US? I have to ask, what is the large nail on the green deep for?

[@TimothyKennedy-t5r]

Hi I’m just outside Portland Maine. I wintered some in 5 frame boxes. So I’m trying to get everyone into full hives and make sure everyone has honey. Doing some equalizing as well. A few came out very small Only a couple frames of bees. I was thinking maybe I’m getting in them too early but it’s looking nice like you said. I actually took a big colony and setup to graft on Saturday. I grafted yesterday. 24 queens, unfortunately some cups fell down. I forgot to add some wax to the bar. I was only hoping for 10 and it looks like I should have a bit more than that. I’m going to be using an incubator this time. Try and get some queens going real soon. Drones are flying I’ll setup at least 10 mating nucs next week. get them banked until everyone is ready for splits. What do you do for your early queens? So expensive to buy. I tend to have better quality queens when I make them anyway. This is the earliest I’ve tried for queens by a week or two. They would be getting ready for swarming in a couple weeks I predict. I like to make sure they are not trapped with too much honey as well.

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

Its is VERY early to raise queens in Maine. They need lots of drones flying to mate well and that is several weeks away yet even in Portland.

[@TimothyKennedy-t5r]

@@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer a part of me believes that if I get grafts in early those queens will mate with drones from strong overwintered colonies. Come June there is tons of drones but they include package bees and nuc colonies from the south as well as weaker wintered colonies. So I figured it was good for breeding stock going early just limited amount. A bit risky but normally works out

[@LynesofDoodles]

Newbie here- I have a week old nuc. My objective is honey. Can I add a super and then another deep when my first deep is full? What’s the best way to do it ?

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

Can vary a lot with location. I like to build up to a double deep brood chamber then when the honeyflow is on and a honey super goes on I shake the queen into the bottom super and put a queen excluder on to change things to a single deep brood chamber, the upper deep becomes a honey super as the brood emerges. See my videos about running single brood chambers.

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

Great video

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

Thanks!

[@scentsbyemebathbody3161]

Can you Use the second brood chamber with queen cells on it …move it to new location to let them make a new queen to start a new hive with ?

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

No those queen cells had already failed and here in Maine even viable cells whiched emerged with healthy queens would fail to mate well as so there few drones around till the end of May.

[@scentsbyemebathbody3161]

@@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer then should I try the Demaree method put on queen excluder on first brood box . Then stack the second one on top . ? Thank you 😊

[@peterg2569]

Will the two queen's meet at the queen excluder and fight to death?

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

No they can not get at eachother so both should (normally are) fine.

[@peterg2569]

Peter can l ask you why the two Queens won't meet for at the queen excluder and fight to death, the reason I ask is because they can meet each other and sting.. thank you in advance for the reply

[@FredLaSor]

Lots of good information, but the wind makes it very hard to hear and understand what is being said. Need a better audio system, probably remote mic.

[@blackberry5908]

Nice 🙂

[@fishmut]

I must have adhd or something , I can’t stand burr comb left on frames , it’s gotta go ,they can still climb all over frames with out it, messy hives don’t appeal to me , it might not make much difference but it’s something that bugs me with bee hives for some reason.

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

Alway have inner cover the right way up and have 10 frames in a 10 frame hive.