# We are getting drones.



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

We have got some drones and more hatching every day. Now all we need is some night times temps above freezing and I can start raiseing some new queens and doing splits.
About every thing under the sun has bloomed early but we are not getting rain so don't know how long stuff will hold up. I fear for the fruit blossums since it has been well below 32F, several nights in a row here too.

 Al


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

Cool!! You'll have to keep us posted as to your queen harvesting. Do you put in those queen cell thingies? Or just watch to see if they move a queen to the edge?

Yes, I'm a first year amature bee keeper... 
-Catherine


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I use the Cooper method placing the eggs or 3 day old larva on a bar placed in a queen less nuc. 
There will be about 15 at a time. Once the cells are drawn and capped I take the best then place them in a queenless nuc for hatching and mateing.

At the same time I have a near by yard where I have about 5 drone frames in the hives so the area is loaded with drones of my choosing. Hopefully they mate with my queens and the queen returns safely to the nuc. Once she is laying good they are transfured to full size deep hives. some also replace queens in colonies that have failed, strated laying just drones and such.

 Al


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

That's some seriously advanced beekeeping skills there. I'm still at the "looking for the queen in the mass of bees" stage.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Unless you want to be buying nucs and packages every year to replace winter loosees. A way to requeen hives, also to do the nucs with they are skills one needs to learn. 
From listening to club members boughten queens leave a lot to be disired today.
I could do a lot more splits and nucs every year if I could build enough equipment every winter. That I havn't been able to do yet.

 Al


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

I'm coming to that realization myself. Especially when the one guy in the area decides to stop selling nucs and you don't find out about it until too late.

So this year my goal has been to learn how to propagate my own bees in as many fashions as possible. I haven't yet figured out under what conditions I would ever need to requeen. I've always just let supercedure take care of that in splits. The books I have, though, talk a lot about the need to requeen occasionally. I just need to get better at recognizing those conditions.


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## NickieL (Jun 15, 2007)

I have to check my eyes. I thought the title read we are eating drones.


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

alleyyooper said:


> I use the Cooper method placing the eggs or 3 day old larva on a bar placed in a queen less nuc.
> There will be about 15 at a time. Once the cells are drawn and capped I take the best then place them in a queenless nuc for hatching and mateing.
> 
> At the same time I have a near by yard where I have about 5 drone frames in the hives so the area is loaded with drones of my choosing. Hopefully they mate with my queens and the queen returns safely to the nuc. Once she is laying good they are transfured to full size deep hives. some also replace queens in colonies that have failed, strated laying just drones and such.
> ...


Where can I learn more about this method? I just had to buy new packages for my bees and I'd like to figure out how to do this better and then perhaps be the one SELLING packages!! Pictures would be great, too!!

-Catherine
Still new as I can't find the queen on a frame either, but wanting to learn more...


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Read the stuff here http://www.kilty.demon.co.uk/honeymountain/queens.htm 
and the links.
It appears that the Cooper method has other names but is what was on the paper work with my tools so is the name I use. I don't have pictures of this as I am in a hurry to complete the operation so the eggs or larva don't get chilled/cold.

If you have real good eyes and a steady hand grafting is a good way to raise your own queens.

http://basicbeekeeping.blogspot.com/2008/06/lesson-37-queen-rearing-part-2.html

 Al


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