BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER > REQUEENING & RAISING NEW QUEENS

New queen Every Year = less swarm?

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nepenthes:
I know some people get new queens every year, and this is to keep swarming down, what do you guys think is it really worth it? I could see how it could work if you have less than 5 hives, but more than that it would just get costly. I know their are some methods of switching up the frames as well.

Michael Bush:
>what do you guys think is it really worth it?

I have much better luck keeping the brood nest open and keeping the queens until they fail or they are superceded:

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesswarmcontrol.htm

Queen longevity:
From "Better Queens" page 18:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesbetterqueens.htm#Queen%20Alice

    "In Indiana we had a queen we named Alice which lived to the ripe old age of eight years and two months and did excellent work in her seventh year. There can be no doubt about the authenticity of this statement. We sold her to John Chapel of Oakland City, Indiana, and she was the only queen in his yard with wings clipped. This, however is a rare exception. At the time I was experimenting with artificial combs with wooden cells in which the queen laid."--Jay Smith

I would point out that Jay says: "This, however is a rare exception."

I think three years has always been pretty typical of the useful life of a queen.

Understudy:
I don't replace my queens unless I have a health issue or have lost a queen with no replacement.

I know others who replace them every three years.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

NWIN Beekeeper:
I think there is a significant point that gets forgotten with requeen yearly.

When a hive swarms it has a new establishment year.
The second year is a build up year.
The third year is a new swarm year again. 

If you are looking for a hive with good honey production, you are shooting yourself in the foot by replacing the queen before she enters the build up year (the time of hording nectar and thereby producing honey).

I maybe wrong, but this is the natural cycle that I observe.

Jeff

Finsky:
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I have renewed queens every year 80-90%.
One year old queen is a good layer. When queen has second yield summer, it's ability to lay goes dow. Even good queens become ordinary. Sometimes not.

Changing queens every year do not prevent swarming but makes less swarming. 

New queens are allways surprise every year what they are.

I have found that if good queen does not swarm in first summer, it does often in second summer.

establishment year, build up year, a new swarm year   - I cannot se this in bee nursing. I put swarm it that condition direct after swarming that hive collect normally yield and continues like other hives.

It is quite sure that if you have swarmed queen in hive, you will get one or two swarms next year.

If swarm is small, it is not capable to swarm next year. Poor pastures make that many beekeepers never get swarms. When they have feeded with pollen patty hives, hives become stronger and start to swarm.

Big hives swarm first - that is difficult to accept.


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