Janez GREGORI
Janez POKLUKAR
Janez MIHELIČ
|
Carniolan bee (Apis mellifera Carnica) in Slovenia |
|
Janez GREGORI |
|
Janez POKLUKAR |
|
Janez MIHELIČ |
|
| 5.2.1. |
Replacing or introducing queens - With queen cells |
With queen cells 5.2.1.
Any
queenless colony prefers to adopt mature queen cells, into which the
queen is cutting the cap. Even a colony which has a queen will accept
it. A queen cell is almost always a major unknown – a »pig in a poke«.
We do not know what kind of young queen is in it, whether she may be
injured or even dead. There foollows the uncertainty connected with
fertility, when the queen can be lost. So for the most part, queen cells
are used for emergency reserve colonies, where there is still later time
for further selection of queens. Queen cells can also be used for the
replacement of old queens in reserve bee colonies.
21 - A queen has just returned from the mating flight
| With unmated queens |