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Author Topic: Ways of promoting early season drone buildup?  (Read 3393 times)

Offline van from Arkansas

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Re: Ways of promoting early season drone buildup?
« Reply #20 on: December 18, 2018, 03:21:34 pm »
Mr. Ben, are you close to the coast where frost is a rare event.

Every single year, in North Arkansas in February there will be some warm beautiful sunny days 60-70F I am always tempted to start queens, I get very anxious.  And although tempted, every single year I wait until March to start my queen rearing as there is always killing cold snaps that appear late Feb or early March.

In Houston, Texas, only 45 miles from the coast, I have seen roses bloom in December.  Proximity to the Gulf of Mexico makes a lot of difference.  Just ask Jim.  If the temps are in the 40Fs those folks in Florida get cold, freezing temps, a single night of frost, causes panic in the citrus counties.  Front page news.

So Mr. Ben, Phil, if blue crab and oysters are close, that?s in your favor.  If you are North Mississippi close to peache country, waiting will pay.
Blessings
I have been around bees a long time, since birth.  I am a hobbyist so my answers often reflect this fact.  I concentrate on genetics, raise my own queens by wet graft, nicot, with natural or II breeding.  I do not sell queens, I will give queens  for free but no shipping.

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Ways of promoting early season drone buildup?
« Reply #21 on: December 19, 2018, 01:05:17 am »
Thank again  blackforest beekeeper, sawdstmakr, Michael Bush, and Stinger13.

Jim I hope all comes together for you by the time of BeeFest. I COMMEND you for the HARD WORK and preparation that you put into it to make sure that everyone has a good time and enjoy the bee fellowship together! Hats off to you Sir!

Mr Van I'm not at that end of the state. I am in the Northwest Corner of the state. As the crow flies, due west from me, about 10 miles is the Mississippi River, the great river which divides your great state and mine. To the North, about the  same amount of miles is Tennessee. I am in the Northwest corner of Mississippi. We sometimes also have the late cold snaps such as you described.  A day or two probably wouldn't hurt? That way the brood covering bees, could get relief and food soon enough  I am thinking. The extended cold snap is what Michael is talking about? Is that right Michael? But on rare occasions, we have had those too.  After reflecting on thoughts form each one of you who have replied here, and being I only have 7 hives and don't want to loose one, (that is of course I can successfully get all seven through the winter months),  I am leaning very hard against trying to rush things this year. Now, If all goes according to plans, (planning for many hives by this time next year), the next season will be a (go for it season), provided the weather at the time looks promising. I should be more able to take the gamble with more hives and nucs in the stock pile.

Thanks, Phillip
« Last Edit: December 19, 2018, 01:20:35 am by Ben Framed »
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Offline paus

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Re: Ways of promoting early season drone buildup?
« Reply #22 on: December 19, 2018, 12:00:53 pm »
I have a question. Why be concerned about raising Drones?  If the bees read the same book I read the Virgin Queen flies farther from the hive than her brothers can.

Offline blackforest beekeeper

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Re: Ways of promoting early season drone buildup?
« Reply #23 on: December 19, 2018, 12:08:09 pm »
I am not quite sure who wrote that book. Who has been looking?  :cool:
some things seem to get true by repeating them.

Offline AR Beekeeper

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Re: Ways of promoting early season drone buildup?
« Reply #24 on: December 19, 2018, 02:08:49 pm »
Statement comes from studies done by Gudran and Nicholas Koeniger.  There are videos on Youtube from the National Honey Show featuring them, and giving the information they learned.

Offline TheHoneyPump

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Re: Ways of promoting early season drone buildup?
« Reply #25 on: December 19, 2018, 02:51:50 pm »
I have a question. Why be concerned about raising Drones?  If the bees read the same book I read the Virgin Queen flies farther from the hive than her brothers can.

Perhaps because it takes two to tango?  There is no point having virgins out looking to play around if there are none or not enough males to play with.

If serious about rearing queens, imho one has to be just as serious and attentive to raising drones ahead of time of the queens.

There are so many books, articles, and threads on queen rearing. Yet so little on drones rearing.  Why is that? 
When the lid goes back on, the bees will spend the next 3 days undoing most of what the beekeeper just did to them.

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Ways of promoting early season drone buildup?
« Reply #26 on: December 19, 2018, 02:57:58 pm »
One of our entomology students at UF studied drone congregations areas and queen breeding. She also supports the area that the drones normally fly about one kilometer and the queens fly 3 or more kilometers.
Queen breeders normally set up their drone rearing colonies far enough away that the queens will mate with them. I know of one queen breeder that provides free queens to all of his neighboring beekeepers with the ones that he queens that will produce the drones that he wants his queens to mate with.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
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