tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347024209749983628.post3666281965828455297..comments2024-01-27T02:01:24.039-05:00Comments on Happy Hour at the Top Bar: A New Queen & The Birthing of a RevolutionJulie Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09965401314478095790noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347024209749983628.post-66628840850208500742015-07-22T20:38:56.664-04:002015-07-22T20:38:56.664-04:00You bring up a really good point about queens mati...You bring up a really good point about queens mating with drones from your mean colonies. That's something I've been considering, but I've been too chicken to suit up and pull any drone comb. You're right, though -- I definitely don't want those drones mixing with the local population. Ugh. Looks like I'm going to have to bite the bullet.<br /><br />That's a good suggestion about moving the hives. Thanks!Julie Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09965401314478095790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347024209749983628.post-71031659018445580142015-07-22T12:01:49.623-04:002015-07-22T12:01:49.623-04:00I had to deal with some mean honey bees for the pa...I had to deal with some mean honey bees for the past three summers --- and I hated it. I could tell you horror stories, experiences that would discourage most people from going anywhere near honey bees again, experiences that certainly took the shine off the joy I used to get from beekeeping. I still get uneasy around my bees at times because of it. I'm trying to relax around my bees again, and most of the time I'm cool, but I still have one colony whose queen mated with the mean bees and although they're nice most of the time, when they get defensive, they do it en masse and it's scary, though they're tame compared to the original mean bees (which are thankfully dead now). At least I can work the hive from time to time. The original mean bees were entirely unworkable. Even the slightest disturbance of the hive and they would pour out like a lava flow of bees. My veil would be so thick with bees, I could barely see out of it.<br /><br />If your bees are in any way workable, I'd move the hive 10 feet or so and put a weaker colony in the same location so the weaker colony gets all the foragers and converts them to the good side of the Force. Then --- with fewer bees in the hive --- pull brood and honey and give the frames to more needy hives. Then kill queen. It's not worth it keeping mean bees around, or a queen that makes mean bees.<br />I'm not sure why my bees were so mean, but I suspect it was because the queen was the result of inbreeding.Philliphttp://mudsongs.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347024209749983628.post-72070813420867006192015-07-21T21:44:31.826-04:002015-07-21T21:44:31.826-04:00Oh! That's really clever! Basically a trap-out...Oh! That's really clever! Basically a trap-out except I don't have to put them in a box. Good question -- I don't know if they would go into another hive or not. I'll have to research that idea some more. Thanks for the thought!Julie Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09965401314478095790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347024209749983628.post-35940615292015606032015-07-21T15:22:21.097-04:002015-07-21T15:22:21.097-04:00If you were to put one-way wire-mesh cones onto th...If you were to put one-way wire-mesh cones onto the exits of the evil hive, would returning foragers eventually give up and find another hive to welcome them or loyally hang around the entrances until death?<br /><br />If the former then the evil will get dispersed among the rest of your hives (or just the nearest ones) and successive generations of evil bees will graduate to forager and need to find a new home until the wicked queen starves.<br /><br />If the latter then our idea seems pointless.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347024209749983628.post-14753172254561613282015-07-20T08:11:22.032-04:002015-07-20T08:11:22.032-04:00I really like that strategy, Dewey! Thanks for tha...I really like that strategy, Dewey! Thanks for that suggestion! Good idea, too, about moving the hive. <br /><br />I don't think I want to split now because we're entering our summer dearth. In any case, I don't have any empty hives or nucs, and I'd need about 9 queens to do this properly. Already made 4 splits from the other hive, and I just want those to build up now -- would rather not taken any brood from them. I don't want to spend $300 on queens right now either. <br /><br />I still like your idea, though. Maybe I'll wait until spring & see how many colonies I lose over winter. By then, I'm sure I'll want to repopulate some hives, and if those mean girls are still around, your idea sounds like a good approach.<br /><br />Thanks again!Julie Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09965401314478095790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347024209749983628.post-75756294361594067732015-07-20T08:09:02.063-04:002015-07-20T08:09:02.063-04:00I really like that strategy, Dewey! Thanks for tha...I really like that strategy, Dewey! Thanks for that suggestion! Good idea, too, about moving the hive. <br /><br />I don't think I want to split now because we're entering our summer dearth. In any case, I don't have any empty hives or nucs, and I'd need about 9 queens to do this properly. Already made 4 splits from the other hive, and I just want those to build up now -- would rather not taken any brood from them. I don't want to spend $300 on queens right now either. <br /><br />I still like your idea, though. Maybe I'll wait until spring & see how many colonies I lose over winter. By then, I'm sure I'll want to repopulate some hives, and if those mean girls are still around, your idea sounds like a good approach.<br /><br />Thanks again!Julie Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09965401314478095790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347024209749983628.post-10281698573301512772015-07-20T02:59:45.922-04:002015-07-20T02:59:45.922-04:00You could keep your handling to a minimum by inste...You could keep your handling to a minimum by instead of looking for the queen just dividing the brood nest. The side without raises queen cells so you know is queenless. The remaining you halve again, the side without raises queen cells etc. Until you are down to 2-3 combs. Much easier to find the queen and weakening colonies in this way "can" calm them. I would recommend moving the hivr first though and putting a closed empty box in the hive location. That way when you are workong on the hive any foragers etc are head back to a different location and the bees.in the hive are more interested in covering the brood. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01286928263742755956noreply@blogger.com