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MikeWaters · 06-07-2009, 04:56 AM

Some progress. The super is still not full, which is disappointing. But it is filling up. It's not been a good year for honey.

I'm thinking about re-queening my hive. That is where you buy a new a queen, find the old queen and smush her, and then put your new queen in the hive (there is a way of doing this so that she is accepted and not killed).

The thing is my queen is 3 seasons old now (if she hasn't been superceded). And for serious honey-producers, that is an old queen. They might requeen every month or two.

On the other hand, I do have a hive that is relatively docile (important not to get stung) and is strong, without any use of pesticides. So the genes are pretty good. I might buy a queen and have it all go to hell, although that is unlikely.

I'll talk to my dad about it. Because I would have him do the requeening. There is no way I'll be able to find the queen looking at potentially 80 frame-surfaces.

In the meantime, however, LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!

06-07-2009, 04:56 AM	#11
MikeWaters Demiurge Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 36,365	Some progress. The super is still not full, which is disappointing. But it is filling up. It's not been a good year for honey. I'm thinking about re-queening my hive. That is where you buy a new a queen, find the old queen and smush her, and then put your new queen in the hive (there is a way of doing this so that she is accepted and not killed). The thing is my queen is 3 seasons old now (if she hasn't been superceded). And for serious honey-producers, that is an old queen. They might requeen every month or two. On the other hand, I do have a hive that is relatively docile (important not to get stung) and is strong, without any use of pesticides. So the genes are pretty good. I might buy a queen and have it all go to hell, although that is unlikely. I'll talk to my dad about it. Because I would have him do the requeening. There is no way I'll be able to find the queen looking at potentially 80 frame-surfaces. In the meantime, however, LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!