Janez GREGORI

Janez POKLUKAR

Janez MIHELIČ

5.3. Monitoring the success of requeening

It is often recommended in the literature that the acceptance of the queen be checked after three days. On the basis of experience, we recommend people not to do that, since it causes the death of many young queens. A young, still nervous queen will be disturbed during the period when the first larvae have not yet emerged from the eggs, and the queen has perhaps not even started to lay. We will stand surprised in front of an open hive without a brood, not knowing what to do. It is therefore better to wait at least ten days, and after twelve days there will probably also already be some sealed brood combs in the hive and the queen will be calmer. If there is no brood in the hive, we will know exactly what to do.

 Even in a case of ready acceptance, the further development of the bee colony will be varied. Some queens are better than others, so the colony will also be more advanced. After a few weeks, some of the introduced queens can re-lay. The queens can be injured without us noticing this, perhaps were even injured during the introduction when the old bees did not accept them very hospitably. Injuries can be minor and the colony will not decide on requeening.

27 -Sugar cake is prepared from powdered sugar and invert sugar syrup. Wait three days for the contents to leaven nicely without unnecessary hand mixing

It has been shown that in the period immediately after the introduction of queens, the amount of honey stocks in a hive is very important, and the flow of new, fresh food. In a hive, in a colony, to which we introduce a queen, there must be at least a five-kilogram stock of honey. In addition, a minimum supply of new food must be enabled, at least 0.1 kg per day. If there is not this, add sugar cake to the colony before introducing the queen since the hive should not be opened for at least ten days. It is not excessive also to be additionally attentive to sources of pollen in this period. If there are insufficient sources, we must add pollen ourselves. The addition of pollen to the sugar cake in such cases is probably the best solution. Warning! Pollen should be produced at home. Buying pollen can also be buying many health problems with the bees.

Introducing queens and requeening is a demanding task. However, we are always inspired by the excitement of seeing that we have been successful, when the combs are covered with fresh broods over which reigns a calm young queen. An excitement with which only beekeepers are familiar. And if you have not been successful, don’t take a shotgun into the cornfield, and restrain yourself from blaming others. Try to work exactly how you proceeded and where you perhaps made mistakes. 

Gradually you will also successfully rectify these mistakes and derive even greater satisfaction from your Carniolan bees.

28 -  A honey bee visiting a sage flower  

BACK   And thank you for lecture