Requeening

**EDIT: more recently, we have found that leaving the colony queenless for 24 hours before introducing a new queen works best**
Paul Kelly, research and apiary manager, shows how to requeen a honey bee colony.
Frequently asked questions: hbrc.ca/faq/
A descriptive transcript is available here: www.uoguelph.ca/oac/sites/uog...
For more videos, check out the University of Guelph's Honey Bee Research Centre youtube channel at this link:
/ @uoghoneybeeresearchce...
For more work by David Borish Visuals, check out:
www.davidborishvisuals.com/
We would like to thank Québec beekeepers Marie-Hélène Majeau and Susan Kennerknecht for translating our videos into French. We are very grateful for their help with this project. (To view translation, click on settings then subtitles)
Nous aimerions remercier deux apicultrices du Québec, Marie-Hélène Majeau et Susan Kennerknecht pour la traduction de ces vidéos en français. Nous leur en sommes très reconnaissants. (Pour accéder à la traduction française, sélectionnez paramètres et ensuite sous-titres)

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thank you to everyone for watching and supporting our videos! If you have any questions about our videos, please check out our list of FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS on our website, which can be found at honeybee.uoguelph.ca/videos/frequently-asked-questions/

[@brand4351]

Can you do a video on swarm trapping?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

@@brand4351 Good idea Bran.

[@63italic]

Really like the way you explain things. So clear...thank you from a new beekeeper 😊

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Our pleasure Roberto! Good luck with your bees.

[@caven930]

Requeening 5 colonies today. I appreciate the very easy to follow content, thank you!

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Nice work!

[@sandcyngal]

Thank you for the detailed instructions on how to requeen my hives. Last year had a severe drought in central California. Next to zero wildflowers. Pollen patties and sugar syrup in 2021. This year is looking up with 3 good rains.

[@BIBBA_UK]

Here at BIBBA, we like the way this guy handles bees: calmly without drama without excessive smoke or exiting the bees too much; hence no need for full suits, gloves or boots. He uses the old fashioned wooden cages, which is nice to see. He is in a part of Canada where they have strong flows through the summer but long hard winters. Note that he recommends bees that are acclimatised to the local area, not bees from areas with softer climates. A bit like our logic in using hardy dark bees in the UK.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks BIBBA! As you know, when you are comfortable working with bees it's fun!

[@lintonmacnamara1469]

Another helpful well presented video.thanks for posting. Have or am watching the full range of your videos. Getting a thorough education

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks Linton! I'm glad you find the videos helpful.

[@carlmerkey9370]

Thank you for answering my question so quickly can't wait for the new videos to start

[@jasonsaludes7032]

Awesome videos. Very clear and with subtitles.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks Jason. I appreciate your generous comment.

[@Melaniejd902]

I am re-queening today. My hive has been hopelessly queenless for a few weeks. I've tried adding brood from another hive, but they haven't successfully raised a queen yet. This video shows how simple it is and I appreciate that. It's given me confidence that this will be a simple process.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Melanie I hope your re queening works out for you. Adding brood at the same time as re queening can somtimes help acceptance.

[@SisyphusTwo]

Hi.. No point adding brood... you need to add a frame with freshly laid eggs.

[@veragiles981]

Thanks so much for all these videos. So helpful with clear explanations.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

You're very welcome!

[@karenulrich5930]

Awesome video tutorial. I keep field journals with me to notate dates, actions, weather conditions etc.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks Karen. Good recording really helps you learn how to improve... and remember what worked!

[@SuperVviikkttoorr]

Paul thank you very much! Very informative and simple

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Glad it was helpful!

[@kellen4811]

amazing content- sending thanks from an amateur bee keeper.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Our pleasure Kellen. Thank you.

[@dendekisentai]

Very good video. Congrats.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Glad you liked it!

[@Lsmith-ly2cm]

Great video thank you again.

[@HerbertSenft1993]

Very well done presentation. Thank you. My question would be the inner cover. What are you using that is so flexible, yet allows (I would hope) moisture to pass through.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Herbert Thanks! Please see FAQ #1 below. We filmed a video this summer that includes information about the cloth inner cover. It will be posted in the fall. Note that we have an upper entrance drilled into our brood chamber so moisture doesn't need to pass through the cloth. Once the bees propolize the cloth it is sealed. 1. Why do we use canvas for the hive inner cover? A: We use canvas inner covers for a few reasons. They make it easy to take a quick peek in the hive, and are cheap and easy to make. They are light, the lids sit down well, less excess wax on the frame top bars, and we rarely need to scrape the inner cover. We use 18 oz (#8) canvas -otherwise known as duck. It's a bit hard to come by in Ontario, but it is available from online distributors (US: www.bigduckcanvas.com/number-8-18oz-cotton-duck-canvas.html, Canada www.jtsoutdoorfabrics.com/18oz-Cotton-Duck-Canvas-Untreated--Natural-60_p_15038.html). Bees chew through thin canvas so a heavy weight is better. We flip it over periodically when new so the bees thoroughly coat it with propolis. An alternative is a feedbag folded in half. 2. Why do we use single brood chambers? A: Our preference is to keep hives in single brood chambers. We use queen excluders above the brood chamber and then add supers. We produce bigger crops managing our hives in singles vs doubles and we find the hive management much easier. It's become quite common here, especially over the last twenty years. We will be making a video about single brood chambers soon! 3. Are our queens for sale? A: We sell some queens but don't export. To contact us about our queens, please email us at [e-mail]. Our Buckfast collaborators also sell queens: Munro Honey www.munrohoney.com/ (for CAN sales) and Ferguson Apiaries fergusonapiaries.on.ca/ (for CAN and US sales). . 4. What breed of honeybee do we use? A: We work with Buckfast bees. Check out our website if you would like to learn more about them: www.uoguelph.ca/honeybee/breeding.shtml 5. Will we be making any more videos? A: Yes! We are looking forward to creating more videos for our KZbin channel this year! Here are some of the topics we will be covering: Working with single brood chambers, indoor overwintering. 6.How do you overwinter double nucleus colonies? A: At the University of Guelph, we winter our double nucleus colonies indoors. You can also winter them outdoors by wrapping two double nucs together with insulation on the sides and top. 7. Are double nucleus colonies prone to swarming? A: With a young queen and the supers above we don't have any problem with these nucs swarming in the first year. We do have to transfer them into a full size box early enough the following spring to prevent swarming. 8. Do we add a frame of pollen or honey into a new split? A: Ideally you add both pollen and honey. Of the two, honey is the most important. 9. Where to purchase some of the products that we use: Coveralls: We really like these Dickies all cotton coveralls. www.dickies.com/coveralls-overalls/deluxe-cotton-coverall/48700.html?dwvar_48700_color=GY#start=3. We use two sided velcro to strap up the wrists and usually tuck the legs into our socks. Plastic Queen cages: Mann Lake and their Canadian distributors sell these and they are made by the French company Nicot. www.mannlakeltd.com/hair-roller-cages. I use a wooden plug on the bottom and screw it in place with a #4 screw after pre drilling. Grafting microscope: www.amscope.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=gooseneck+binocular Mini/mating nucleus boxes: Mann Lake (US) and their Canadian distributors sell these. They are originally from Europe so are widely available there. www.mannlakeltd.com/shop-all-categories/hive-colony-maintenance/queen-rearing/nuc-boxes Queen Pheromone: The pheromone strips were developed here in Canada. They are called Tempqueen and are made by Intko Supply Ltd.Suite 604, 3345 Kingsway VANCOUVER, BC, V5R 0A7 Canada [phone]. [e-mail]. Mann Lake in the US and several Canadian bee supply companies carry them. Bee belt and bulk bee box: Our apiary manager Paul Kelly manufactures the Bee Belts and bulk bee box. If you are interested in more information, please email him at [e-mail]. 10. Should you remove any queen cells in a colony before introducing a new queen in a cage? A: Yes, you should remove the queen cells. Look very carefully to make sure you don't miss one. Shake the bees off each frame to make sure you can see them all. Accepted queens are sometimes killed by virgins that emerge from queen cells. 11. Can you make a split without adding a mated queen/can a split raise their own queen? A: A split can raise their own queen (if they have eggs), but you'd be better off buying a mated or queen cell from a local bee breeder. Queens raised by a split are reared under the worst possible conditions, are physiologically inferior, and you aren't taking the opportunity to improve your hive genetics. For a number of reasons, colonies get more aggressive if we let splits raise their own queens. We always use queen cells that we have reared from breeder colonies so we can maintain and improve our genetics. Cells found in hives can be poorly reared if conditions aren't good or if you use swarm cells you are unintentionally breeding for swarming behavior. 12. How often do we check for swarm cells? A: We check for queen cells only in colonies that are stronger based on our ratings as described in our “Swarm Control” video. We only do this at the time of year bees are prone to swarming (ie just before the main summer nectar flow). In some colonies, we check twice, a week apart, if we have the time and we've found cells in them previously. We stop looking once the nectar flow gets going and the time for swarm preparation has passed. 13. How old is a queen when we replace her? A: We re-queen if a queen isn't doing well or when she is in her third year. 14. How often should you be stung to lessen the chances of developing anaphylactic reactions? A: Please speak with an allergist if you have any concerns regarding bee sting reactions. You don’t need that many stings to build an immunity and reduce your chance of developing an allergy. However, reactions can be very different from one individual to the next. For about three years after starting beekeeping you swell more in the spring when the bee season starts. After that most people don't swell up much at all. Some beekeepers apply stings through the winter to keep building immunity. 15. What do we use as candy for the queen cages? A: You can make the candy using honey and icing sugar but the candy you see in the tubes in our videos are purchased with the cages from Mann Lake beekeeping supplies and their Canadian distributors. In our province, it's not legal to use honey in queen candy if you are distributing queens. Honey can contain American Foulbrood spores. A specialized, non-drying, sugar syrup (Nulomoline invert sugar) can be used instead of the honey. In any case the candy must be made dry enough that it's crumbly. 16. How do we make pollen patties? A: The patty is made from pollen we collect using a pollen trap. We mix the pollen pellets with sugar syrup to a dough like consistency, form the patties between layers of wax paper and then keep them frozen until they are needed. They will keep for several months frozen. 17. How do we make our grafting bars? A: We cut the wood pieces and attach them to the graft bar with liquid beeswax. We then attach the cups with liquid wax. In both cases the liquid wax is applied with a syringe. Previously, we made the wax cups but now buy them from www.kelleybees.com/. 18. Do we move full honey supers to the top of the stack so the bees can fill the lower ones? A: Some beekeepers do shuffle the supers around and do what's called bottom supering. We place supers back on in the original order and only add new supers on top (top supering). That way it's easier to see when the bees need more space. The bees also ripen the honey before moving up. We sometimes harvest full lower supers and put the top ones that aren't full back on in the original order. 19. Do we ever add brood frames to the cell builder colonies to keep their populations high? A: We do add other frames of sealed brood and sometimes we shake in more young bees from brood frames to boost the hives. About once every three weeks we'll boost the hives in one way or another. 20. How do you level hive stands? A: We level the hive stands periodically with pressure treated wood shims. If the hives are already on the stands, we use a hardwood pry bar and a brick fulcrum to lift each end for shimming.

[@lovelymillie1967]

Thanks for sharing

[@CharlesCarlsonC3]

Hi Paul, These are great videos. The information is very clear and useful. One thing I don't understand. Queens have to be mated. I would think, they're mated after they hatch but before they're introduced into a hive that involves a period of free flight, right. What guarantee does one have about getting the same, or any queen back? Or does one simply re-queen a hive, and she mates with a hive available drone. Thanks.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Charles The mated queens shown in this video came from our mating nucleus colonies. Maybe if you watch our video on mini nucs it will be clearer. Let me know if not. I'm glad you find the videos helpful Charles.

[@topgundrivers1]

I do like all of your videos, quick question and I'm sure this may "bee" on a previous video, but what do you use as the candy that fits in the cages

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

I used to make the candy using honey and icing sugar but the candy you see in the tube in this video was purchased with the cages from Mann Lake beekeeping supplies. In our province it's not legal to use honey in queen candy if you are distributing queens as the honey can contain American Foulbrood spores. A specialized , non drying, sugar syrup ( Nulomoline invert sugar) can be used instead of the honey. In any case the candy has to be made dry enough that it's crumbly.

[@topgundrivers1]

UoG Honey Bee Research Centre thanks guys, wish you could ship your breed to arkansas

[@tszabo86]

These videos are awesome, thank you!

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

You are quite welcome. Thanks for the feedback!

[@spikytower49]

Awesome videos. What will you do with the old queen?

[@mmb_MeAndMyBees]

He squished her. (Died) Keep this dead Queen in High % of Alcohol (in a bottle.) This can be used in a Bait Hive as a Swarm "Lure." Phremones will seep into the alcohol... Act like a Queen has been in that bait hive (!) Or, if the Queen still has some laying power, remove her to a Nuc, and add some of her existing Bees*. And feed really well with pollen & honey/nectar frame. And 1: 1 Sugar syrup via a Feeder. And Sell the Nuc ! * If you gather other bees, from another hive, make sure they are "Queenless" for at least 24hrs. So their ex Queen phremones are 'forgotten'. Queens kill each other, as only one can rule the hive ! (Sometimes you might have a queen mother and daughter in a hive, but this is rare.) Or, Workers will kill the new Queen, as they are 'loyal' to the queen they 'know' (knew.) SO Leave any bees you bring in, "Queenless" before introducing that New Queen. 👍 Hope this helps.... 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

[@lifeonsibuyanphilippines7212]

Sir, Can you please do a video on introducing queens that you have reared yourself? I would like to know how to manage the queens as they fly out and also return from being mated. . . then the management of the queens after, and also the colony after you take the freshly mated queen. Thanks much!!

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi there in Sibuyan! That would be a good topic. I'll add it to the list. Thanks.

[@staffordmike4174]

@@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre Have you made that yet? Would be great.

[@CJBeekeeping]

Great video again. Is it possible to re-queen a hive that is queenless and has little or no brood? Thanks

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi John Thanks. Yes it is possible to requeen a hive like that but only if they aren't raising a new queen. Very often a hive is in transition to becoming queenright. It takes a long time so waiting can sometimes be the best course of action.

[@vojomalo6388]

Hi. Thanks a lot for these very clear videos and explanations. Really very helpful every thing and congrats for the very good job. My question is: how a colony can be re queened without introducing a caged new queen? Maybe there is another video of yours which I haven't seen yet. Thanks again.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Vojo Thanks for the kind remarks. We only requeen colonies with queen cells or with a mated queen. If you watch our double nuc videos you will see how to use queen cells.

[@ShiningShiningShining]

I saw a video saying that if there are queen cells remaining, the colony would kill the new queen.

[@fernsnyder7072]

I have two hives that don't seem to have Queens. One has honey, no brood, the other has mostly honey and just a small amount of drone brood. Can't see eggs in either. Would it be better to take frames of brood with eggs from other hives and put them in and hope the bees will make a new queen, or just introduce bought queens? I'm a newbie more or less, any advice will be appreciated.

[@petejesper]

Hi Paul, thank you for a clear and concise video. One question, you despatched the old queen 24 hours earlier but you didn’t look for the start of any Queen cells prior to introduction of the new queen. Is the thinking that 24 hours is not sufficient time for Queen cells to be advanced enough to interfere with the introduction?

[@sushilsharmasapkota]

I was thinking also same

[@bushtop1179]

New queen will destroy queen cells when released

[@toddknecht2106]

@@bushtop1179 I’ve had them not release queen and make their own, frustrating to say the least😊

[@MaxBeekeeper]

It is very common for the bees to start making queen cells, especially in Spring. You really should check for them, and eliminate all, before introducing, and also before releasing, a new queen. It's best to keep the candy covered for 3 days, check for Q cells, and then expose the candy. At this time you can also make a last search for an existing queen, or see eggs from one. For example, in late Summer it's somewhat common for there to be two queens in the hive, a mother and daughter. You eliminate one and the other is still there and your new queen won't be accepted.

[@beeesbes1181]

Hi!I have one more question if you can give a beginner advice?One of my six hive lost their queen,i couldn't find her(they are all marked)no eggs or brood to be found compared to other hives,and they act really strange at hive entrance so i guess she died,few of dead ones at bottom haven't clean it yet but will check those too when i get to that.So what should i do with that one?Will they make a new one,or worker will start laying drone eggs?I have red that is good to combine them with stronger colony but i wanted to ask first.I just want best for them :) Thank you in advance! ps English isnt my bright side :)

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Bes Bees Your english is great. Before I try and answer let me ask you a couple questions. Where are you? I'm asking that so I know what season it is for you now. Approximately how many frames are covered with bees?

[@beeesbes1181]

Went to check today,i found queen dead and it was like 2 bigger cluster of bees chewing up honey caps,so i guess others were robbing them.Well made me sad to lose one of hive but will be better,after that when all others bees went back inside i made quick peek into that one and it was empty.I didn't harvest honey last year i left for them first year i even put 1 kg of sugar cake just to be sure they have enough and weather was awful so i didn't want to bother them. By the way thank you yet again for your time it really means a lot to me

[@whosaidyoucandance]

Hi Paul, when I used this method I notice many bees attack the cage and sting attendant bees through the screen. Is that normal? Will they settle down in some hours, or keep going until the queen is dead?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi There As long as the colony doesn't already have a queen the aggression will subside.

[@johnwatkins6651]

What do you recommend if the colony has started making queen cells already?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

If you can find the queen and 'pinch' her I'd shake the bees off the frames so you can removes all the cells before introducing your queen.

[@oscarb9139]

Last spring, I was opening up the hives to see how well they made it through the winter. On the last hive, when I lifted out the frame with the queen (marked) on it, I saw a bunch of bees attack her. I separated her from the mob, and released her into a different part of the hive. The next day, she was gone. I attempted to requeen 3 times unsuccessfully. I would place queen cage in as shown here, and leave for a week before opening the hive. Were these bees just on a suicide mission, or is there a better way to requeen a queenless hive?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Oscar We'll never have all the answers for all situations. I've seen bees 'balling' a well established prolific queen and its hard to understand why they would do this. My best guess is that there was some other kind of stress on the hive at the same time. Mated queen introduction can be tricky sometimes too. Introducing a well produced queen cell is, in my experience, more reliable than mated queen introduction. Everything depends on lots of factors...

[@matthewmoore7562]

What do you do with the old queen?

[@billbyrd9845]

What does the inner cover do? What would be the consequence of not having it? Does it reduce ventilation?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Bill The inner covers only function is to keep the telescoping lid from being stuck down. It's not easy to pry this kind of lid off.

[@jeffdoran3392]

How often do you under normal conditions replace a queen, or do you wait until you know she's failing?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Jeff We re queen in the queens third year or sooner if the colony isn't performing well. Any aggressive hives are requeened as soon as possible so they aren't producing undesirable drones. My boss Dr Guzman figured out that aggression is inherited from the drones. Splits get new queens so that's another way we get younger queens in hives.

[@JoseGutierrez-pl4ck]

In split nucs, would you also recommend to wait a day to introduce the new caged queen? Or is it ok to do introduce the new queen the day of the split?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

When making a split you can introduce the mated queen the day you make the split. Ideally you are introducing the queen to the split, not the parent colony.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

For re-queening a hive, I do recommend waiting one day between removing the queen and introducing a new one.

[@user-fg5rm3rt1n]

What’s the name of the the candy you used and where can I buy it plz let me know

[@jariZet]

Awesome video. Is it ok to requeen in late summer?

[@mmb_MeAndMyBees]

Yes, if she has time to lay eggs, and hatch good volumes of Winter Bees (!) These bees are what keep the colony going through the late Autumn (Fall) until the next Spring. Summer bees live for x6 weeks or so. Winter bees need to live for around x6 months* or so. Depending where you live, eg Canada, Russia... Places that have long harsh winters*... 😱

[@richardbenson9815]

Hi Paul, Its August here in Illinois, USA. I want to requeen several hives. I have mated queens in nucs already. Should I cage the new queen and introduce the new queen to the existing colony and than merge the nuc with the rest of the bees with the colony using paper spray with sugar water. My main question is what do I do with the rest of the bees, larva, and capped broad the was in the nuc if I remove the queen.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Richard I'll assume the nuc has frames the same size as your full size colony. If the nuc has several frames covered in bees you could remove the queen in the full size hive and unite the nuc with the full size colony using a newspaper in between the two boxes. It's late in the year to ask the bees to reorganize their brood chamber so put the box with the nuc on top then in a week or so move it to the bottom. That way they will have the well prepared brood chamber on top were it's needed for the winter. Some people install the nuc with the young queen in the centre of the hive they are re queening so that's another option (Remove frames to make space for the nuc). With either method you could feed the hive if you don't have any supers on. Everything goes better when bees are contented.

[@mamastoltz1]

Hi Paul; I live in Wisconsin. How do you know when to start grafting? Since it was May 10 when you introduced the queen she must have been grafted around Apr 16 or so? Are there enviormental indicators you watch for to have an idea of when you can sucessfully start grafting? With you being only about 200 miles south of our latitude you're the only "professional" beekeeper we've come across that doesn't send their bees off for pollination contracts to get a head start on splits.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

We start grafting around when sugar maple trees are blooming - just before dandelion blooms. This is in early May here in SW Ontario. With this timing we have enough drones and good weather for mating by the time the queen cells emerge. The queen I introduced on May 10 was an overwintered queen taken from another colony. We don't have newly mated queens to work with until early June.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Michelle. I forgot my manners for a moment:)

[@JoseGutierrez-pl4ck]

On the day the new queen is introduced, do you look for and destroy any queen cells/cups the hive might have started?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

We find it's best to introduce the new queen a day after removing the old queen. If you want to be sure check for any possible supercedure or swarm cells and remove them when you remove the old queen. We do it this way.

[@MrJAG1156]

I have a queen less hive from a package that was installed two weeks ago, with no brood whatsoever. Can I introduce a new queen in the same way? Thank you.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Yes but it would be better if you could also add a frame of brood from another colony. Can you see if there are any eggs? Maybe you have a queen.

[@stevesoutdoorworld4340]

I need to know why the canvas cover.I am a Florida bee man and all i have ever used is a 3/4" plywood cover on top cut to size of the box.With the canvas on i don't see how the bees can go over the top of the frames or do you not want them going over the top?Is this just a up north thing?Thank you for your great vids keep them coming.

[@bsarge1015]

They have this answer in a resent equipment video, check it out

[@carlmerkey9370]

Love the way you make it so easy to understand great job. How old was the queen you replaced?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Carl I'm pleased to hear you find the information clear. I don't recall how old the queen was. We re queen if a queen isn't doing well or when she is in her third year.

[@LadyElk1]

@@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre You folks' are the best in informative viewing. (clear & consise)

[@marisavarkonja2884]

New beekeeper question. Can a hive bee requeened if the hive has been queen less for 16 days?? I’m pretty sure I have no queen and I have a mates queen coming today, is she even going to work?? Strong hive, 2 deeps and 2 suppers on and the black berries are just starting to bloom. Any info is helpful! Thanks for your time!I’ve really enjoyed All your videos

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Marisa Too late to help you now. I hope it worked out ok.

[@souficoufi5763]

Bonjour Vous êtes un grand apiculteur expérimenté.Comment vous faites pour hiverner vos ruches ?Vous n'utilisez pas de couvre-cadre sur la ruche.Est-ce que vous avez des plateaux ouverts (Screen Bottom Board)? Merci.(Algeria).

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Bonjour Soufi Je ne parle pas Francais. See our videos on 'feeding and overwintering' and on detecting diseases and abnormal conditions to answer your questions. Merci.

[@TheRealJackFromDoors]

Dear UoG, I have a few questions: 1. What's the timeframe of a virgin queen to get mated properly? 2. In a condition scarce of drones, if today the new queen only manage to mate with 1 or 2 drones, will she try to find more drones again tomorrow? Thank you.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Xio 1. In two weeks from hatching a queen will be nated and laying eggs. She will not mate later. 2. No she only mates when young. A queen that mates with few drones doesn't last long and the bees will try to supercede her but not always successfully. You should get a good book that describes bee biology. It's fascinating!

[@TheRealJackFromDoors]

UoG Honey Bee Research Centre OK, so that means, in that 2 weeks timeframe, if I notice the virgin queen flies out for mating for say 3 days, and on the 4th day she doesn't fly out anymore, that means she had mated? Condition is scarce of drones, probably there are only 3-5 drones from my other hive. There are no other mellifera colonies in my area.

[@brucewest4862]

Would you have been looking for swarm cells before introducing a new queen? If they are present, would have have destroyed those cells?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Bruce Yes we look for swarm or supercedure cells and destroy them before introducing a new queen. We'll post our requeening S.O.P. on our website. Thanks for the great question!

[@beebob1279]

Have you ever re-queened by taking out the old queen and then picking a queen right from your mating yard and immediately placing her in the colony? I've heard other beekeepers/breeder talk about doing this and since that queen is a laying queen she's automatically accepted. Michael Palmer discusses this. However, is the queen has been in the cage for a few hours to days then it's considered a non-laying worker. This type of queen needs to be introduced as you discussed. Any thoughts on my comment? Loving your videos!!!!

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Bob I hear about the method but since it seems riskier I've never tried it. Maybe I'll give it a go this summer.

[@billpease9503]

If there are queen cells present in the hive, should you remove them before introducing the new caged queen or will the new queen, once released from the cage, kill them ?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Bill Yes you should remove the queen cells. Look very carefully to make sure you don't miss one. I shake the bees off each frame to make sure I can see them all. Accepted queens are sometimes killed by virgins that emerge from queen cells.

[@billpease9503]

Thanks ! I love your videos - very helpful

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

You are welcome Bill. Good to hear you find them helpful.

[@enkixen]

Hey, i live in sweden. Its fall here, around 12-16 celcius. I have some hives i want to requeen. But how late its possible to do it? I already harvested honey and start feeding and gave appivar 3 weeks ago.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

A late reply... We requeen up to the beginning of September. Queens here usually stop laying eggs by late September so you could compare to what happens in your climate. Nice to hear from you in Sweden!

[@jljjoubert3611]

Goodday reader,only a blessed to you. I've got a weak hive amid other strong ones. To requeen it the only oprion? I am of the opinion that If she perform the hive to improve. You're advice will be appreciated. Cobus👀

[@Derek_Wong]

What would happen if I introduce a different species queen into the hive? Thanks

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Derek A different race could be accepted (example Carniolan queen into an Italian hive )but not a different species ( example bumble bee queen into honey bee hive).

[@Derek_Wong]

Thank you.

[@JoneyJefe]

What if your hive has no brood?

[@acctahmed7055]

Hello sir, I have a 3 years old queen she is doing a great job so my question is : after how many years we can replace the queen. Many thanks. A

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Ahmed Is your queen marked or clipped so you know for sure how old she is? I try to get new queens into colonies in different ways. 1. by making splits with new queens and 2. by re queening after the queen is two years old.

[@acctahmed7055]

UoG Honey Bee Research Centre Thank you for reply, well actually it's not marked nor clipped when I got it from the bee supplier but at that time he said it's this year queen so that's how I know how old she is, I will replace her hopefully next year(next spring), and I will be marking the new one I will be making, thank you very much. Best A

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Since the queen isn't marked it's possible she has already been replaced Ahmed.

[@shin1300]

non-bee keeper here just an extremely interested normal guy. My question is, is there a different reason to requeen other than having no queen? since I read one of your response stating you requeen to about 2 years

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Normal guy! :) When a queen gets older she is less productive and more prone to fail at critical times so we re queen hives before the queen gets too old. We also introduce queens to improve the genetics of the colony.

[@shin1300]

@@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre Ohh now I learned something new thanks :D

[@tomsasleussink8075]

Were do you get your queen from?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

We raise them ourselves. You could see our queen rearing videos to see how.

[@toddknecht2106]

I’ve tried this requeeing method and failed, each time the colonies made a large amount of emergency cells! Not sure how to prevent this occurrence. Any advice would be appreciated! Thank you!

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

We have pretty good luck introducing queens if we get them in soon after they have been laying eggs. We also wait a day after making the colony queenless before introducing the queen.

[@johnhoffman8203]

What if you see swarm or super cells while requeening?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Good question. We shake all the frames and inspect carefully - removing every cell. If one has hatched we walk away.

[@mikemabry9543]

Why second frame removed first? Thanks

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Mike Thanks for your question Mike. Please have a look at our video 'opening hives' for an explanation of why we recommend taking then second frame out first. www.youtube.com/watch?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

kzbin.info/door/3mjpM6Av4bxbxps_Gh5YPw

[@tarnishedknight730]

As of 21 Feb 23, this link is nonfunctional (which leaves the question unanswered). Whatever happened to giving a short, succinct answer followed by a reference (link, book title, etc.) to further study? Are you so desirous to have people watch every single one of your videos that you fail to answered the question (and thus fail the student)? Has your quest for revenue (from ads) overcome the importance of teaching? I have watched every one of your videos that I can find. Many of them I have watched more than once. But, at this writing, even after reading you supposed answer, I still have no idea why you remove the second frame first, while most others remove the first (outer) frame first. And yes, I know it's five years after the fact. That's part of my point. Unless you maintain them, links break over time. The information you so freely provided five years ago is now a guarded secret. I know that I could go digging through five years of uncataloged archives... but I'm not. It's not worth it to me to go to the extra effort to find something of what I consider low importance. I am very disappointed.

[@tomsasleussink8075]

Thanks

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

:)

[@flyboybbq1718]

When you say you found the queen and pinched her, do you mean you removed her from the hive? Or did you literally pinch and kill her and put her back into the hive?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Steve Pinching is our euphemism for killing the queen. It's not something any of us enjoy but sometimes it's the best thing for the colony as a whole. I don't put the dead queen back in the hive. The sooner she's gone the sooner the bees sense their queenlessness.

[@tomsasleussink8075]

If your queen dies will the colleen replace it naturally?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Yes, as long as there is young larvae present. This can only happen in warmer months when flight is possible and drones are available to mate with.

[@zuniadd]

Why do you have tarp on hives?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Zuni Quite a few people have been interested in our inner covers so we'll likely do a video about them this year. In the meantime here's an answer to your question. We use canvas inner covers for a few reasons. They make it easy to take a quick peek in the hive, and are cheap and easy to make. They are light, the lids sit down well, less excess wax on the frame top bars, and we don't need to scrape the inner cover. We use 18 oz (#8) canvas -otherwise known as duck. It's a bit hard to come by in Ontario, but it is available from online distributors. In the US see www.bigduckcanvas.com/number-8-18oz-cotton-duck-canvas.html). or in Canada see www.jtsoutdoorfabrics.com/18oz-Cotton-Duck-Canvas-Untreated--Natural-60_p_15038.html Bees chew through thin canvas so a heavy weight is better. We flip it over periodically when new so the bees thoroughly coat it with propolis. An alternative is a feedbag folded in half

[@curiouscoy492]

I am requeening a hive that is broodless. Following all the directions for queen cage in bee populated frame. No option of putting her in brood frame. (((fingers crossed)))

[@user-mi4fj9rq7v]

Agree! ***EDIT: more recently, we have found that leaving the colony queenless for 24 hours before introducing a new queen works best***

[@phyreacid]

When you put the queen between the slats you say to snug it up. It's it just something that you learn over time or something that you can see with your eyes? I don't have bees yet but I'm trying to learn as much as I can before I get a hive.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi PA You learn this with experience and you can see that the frames are as close together as when all the frames are in place. Get some bees you'll love it!

[@GreenBananaz]

What happens to old Queen bees?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

They gradually lay less eggs and their queen pheromone production drops. This triggers the worker bees to replace the old queen with a new one - supercedure.

[@swampcrawlerls1267]

I have a large queen less hive it seems. Lots and lots of bees, but no eggs or brood all of the sudden. I'm buying a queen tomorrow for them, fingers crossed.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi There Hope it worked out. Often a 'queenless' hive is in the middle of supercedure and will has a queen on the way.

[@swampcrawlerls1267]

@@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre they did not have a supercedure in process, they also rejected the new queen, and the colony failed a month later, oh well, I've got more.

[@shawnpowell4951]

Is it possible for a guy like me in Alaska to buy nooks and mated Queens from you

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Shan Unfortunately not. We don't sell into the US. Ferguson Apiaries do sell Buckfast queens into the US. fergusonapiaries.on.ca/ They wouldn't ship nucs though. Good luck.

[@sydnee1676]

Why do we have to use some smoke?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi There Please see our HBRC video about this topic.

[@dogalarclk1541]

🇹🇷👍👍👏

[@Tsukshiro]

when you say pinch the queen, do you mean kill her?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Yes

[@HerbertSenft1993]

Yes, and it is important to leave the body in the hive so they realize that they are queenless and without her pheromones, they will be more willing to accept a new queen. A time-lapse is good. I give it two days instead of one. A longer wait, may result in grumpier bees.

[@manoloruiz8336]

Maybe I should have checked that there are no royal cells, before inserting the new queen.

[@what1864]

why not let the colony produce a new queen ?

[@mamannmutfag8950]

🇹🇷👍👍

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

:)

[@SisyphusTwo]

This colony had heaps of brood.. it did not need requeening....

[@claudiahewitt6584]

Hi want to start beekeeping

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Read and learn what you can first. Once you know you want to do it take a hands on course somewhere. It's a big commitment but it is fun and can even be profitable.

[@loopylocks7746]

What do you do with the old queen?