[riseholmebees] Re: Harvey Queenless? Help
- From: HARVEY HOWSON <harvey.howson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: riseholmebees@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2010 11:56:22 -0700 (PDT)
Hi Steve
Thanks for the contact the name rings a bell if its Ged Marshall the bloke down
the road mentioned him but googleing his name didnt throw up much. I will keep
a
note of your linkto his email just in case.
I have paniced a bit cos next Tuesday I go into hospital to start Chemo so
I bankrupted my self by spending £45 on one from thornes.
I picked her up this morning.
You may think I am Mad but what I have done after much thinking is to hedge my
bets a bit. What I have done is this..........
Taken out the frame with the queen cells on and one other frame of brood and an
empty frame and put them in a nuc with a frame feeder full of ambrosia, and
took
them to my mums garden she lives 5 miles away in lincoln, I did this Tuesday
night after ordering my queen from thornes Tuesday morning for me to collect
this morning...Are you with me so far.
This morning thornes phoned saying that the queen was ready for collection (
just after it started raining here, murpheys law ). went to thornes they took
my
£45 along with my finger nails.
Igot the queen home safely Jennie clutching it as tightly as I was clutching
the
£45 before I handed it over.
I opened the hive and went through the hive very carfully and removed another 2
queen cells and about 5 partly built ones I took the cork out of the Queen cage
and secured her between two frames closed the hive and fed them with 1.5l of
heavy syrup.
This afternoon I went to Mums to chech on the nuc and feed them again there was
a dead queen just out side the hive I checked the queen cells carfully and they
were open with a little trap door on top of each.So I am assuming that the dead
one was one of the weaker ones and had been killed by hopefully the best one
mind you the dead one looked very big and jucy.
My idea is this ....if the new queen fails and the nuc gets going or visa versa
I could reunite and save one colony. If the new queen gets going and the nuc
gets going i will have one good colony and a weaker one to try and get through
the winter. And if neither servive then ohhhh bother and I will have another go
next year.
I am proberbly mad but there you go.
I will check the queen cage in 3 days to make sure she has been released. Check
them both in 2 weeks after that.
I will keep you all posted on the results
fingers crossed
HARVEY
________________________________
From: Steve Pickard <steve_pickard@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: riseholmebees@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, 20 July, 2010 9:21:06
Subject: [riseholmebees] Re: Harvey Queenless? Help
Hi Harbey
It may be worth checking with these
•Oakfield Honey Farm - Buckinghamshire. Telephone 01296 730794 or e-mail Ged
Marshall ged@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx - Oakfield 'Buckfast' Queens.
Two different bee inspectors have recommended his queens as being of a very
high
quality
Steve
From:riseholmebees-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:riseholmebees-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of HARVEY HOWSON
Sent: 19 July 2010 18:25
To: riseholmebees@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [riseholmebees] Re: Harvey Queenless? Help
Hi Steve
harvbey here
Ha Ha
I have just posted my pleight on the bee forum and someone got back to me
straight away he has the same problem, he did not have any sugestions but did
give me a link to a web site selling buckfast queens.
This forum seems good so far.
I am still in two minds what to do but knowing I can get a queen on thursday
from thornes and early next week for a buckfast is taking the pressur off a
bit.
I am still keen on letting them to it though.
thanks for your help
H
________________________________
From:Steve Pickard <steve_pickard@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: riseholmebees@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Monday, 19 July, 2010 8:41:06
Subject: [riseholmebees] Re: Harvey Queenless? Help
Hi Harvey (or have you changed your name as per the Harvbey signoff?)
I think Vanessa is right, if you have three Queen cells (are they all capped?)
then you should normally use these. There is an argument for leaving just one
or two, but personally I would leave it up to the bees to decide which is the
strongest.
One possible problem though is the time of year – it may take your hatched
queen
4 weeks + to mate, which will put her laying mid/late August. I don’t know but
suspect this may be a bit late to build up your colony strong enough for the
winter?
If Ben is off on his hols, then I’d suggest posting your problem up on the
Beekeeping forum (www.beekeepingforum.co.uk) or the beginners forum on the BBKA
site – there is a lot of help available on these from experienced beeks.
On a positive note, I started the same procedure (waiting for a queen cell) a
few weeks ago after an artificial swarm and saw my first larvae this weekend –
bloomin brilliant.
Steve
From:riseholmebees-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:riseholmebees-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of HARVEY HOWSON
Sent: 18 July 2010 20:05
To: riseholmebees@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [riseholmebees] Re: Harvey Queenless? Help
Thanks Vanessa
sounds a good idea also I have been looking ont interweb and I think the
earliest I could get a new queen would be in a weeks time although thornes are
advertising at £46 each cough cough. I do hope if my queen works she mates with
quite drones as the bloke up the road has nasty bees. Thanks very much for the
offer of possible help that is very kind of you , i think i can breath again.
Harvbey
________________________________
From:VANESSA HUGHES <nesshughes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: riseholmebees@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Sunday, 18 July, 2010 19:24:00
Subject: [riseholmebees] Re: Harvey Queenless? Help
Hello Harvey,
I don't know much but I certainly wouldn't consider buying a queen if you have
3
queen cells present. If they are sealed I would await the outcome and if all
else fails I'm sure one of us could help. my new colony is a little too strong
if anything and I'm sure that even in a couple of weeks I could let you have a
frame of eggs to see if they raise a new queen if the existing one fails. I
think Dave and Jane were queenless for quite a few weeks, I understand that all
will be well until all existing brood is hatched and reaching the end of it's
life so perhaps just sit tight for a couple of weeks and see what happens - but
obvously I am no expert! I am in contact with the man who sold me my new
colony,
I could ask him for advice if you are struggling? I think Ben is on holiday at
the moment.
Hope all goes well,
Vanessa
--- On Sun, 18/7/10, HARVEY HOWSON <harvey.howson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>From: HARVEY HOWSON <harvey.howson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: [riseholmebees] Harvey Queenless? Help
>To: riseholmebees@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Date: Sunday, 18 July, 2010, 18:45
>Hi every one
>About 3 hours ago I opened my hive no honey in supers no more super frames
>drawn
>out since last inspection. This is the first time I have opened my hive since
>the bee inspector came on th 7th July 11 days ago. I have no unsealed brood
>and
>no eggs only sealed brood and empty cells and a little stores, but on one
>frame
>I have 3 lovely queen cells which I have left in place. Do you recon as i do
>that mabee I have lost my queen? If so shall I leave the queen cells and let
>them get on with it I recon they will be hatching in 4 - 6 days and then
>mating
>in about another 12 days. Or shall I see about trying to find one for sale and
>get it posted to me? I feel a bit deflated cos I thought everything was going
>so
>well never mind. Any sugestions will be appreciated.
>Many thanks
>Harvey
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