Bees

[PerryJeff]

Last Thursday the temps hit 60 here and my 4 overwintering colonies were a buzz... One was very light on honey so gave straight sugar plus syrup feeding. I put syrup feed to 3 colonies and cane sugar to all on the top. Checked yesterday and nearly all sugar crystals cleaned up from the top. and tight cluster again.
Well this year I put an order in for spring queens from www.russellapiaries.com ordered 2 Minn. Hygienic, 1 pollinator, and 1 Sunkist Cordovan Queen bees. I am wanting to get some nice genetics in and since normally can't find any queens in the spring it is hard for the small beek to find them.
I want to maintain between 10-20 colonies Most I have had was 14 colonies but with a slow build up and my splitting 6 of those were very week for winter. Last summer with as wet in spring and my not giving them a lot of time wasn't sure what I would have for spring.
I took a queen grafting class 2 years ago and would like to try that this year. I have always just had carnelian queens I had done several splits from swarm cells in the past and have caught several swarms and hived them.
Has anyone tried to graft queens? Also curious on the luck others have with overwintering? Also as to dealing with mites? I have treated one time and do use screen bottom boards but really don't seem to have an issue with mites. I did purchase 10 drone plastic frames and used them in a couple of hives that I noticed mites and it seemed to drop down the population considerably.

[Karen]

I don't bother grafting or buying queens. If a queen isn't doing her job, I just pinch her and throw the body back into the hive. Then take a frame from another hive that has some brood and usually a queen cell or two. Knock off the bees and put the frame into the queenless hive. This method has never failed for me. I think it works better than buying a new queen because the new queen wouldn't be as acclimated to my environment as a queen from my own hives will be. I want my bees to survive with as little intervention as possible. When TSHTF there won't be anyone to order new queens from, or meds either.
Any huives that die off due to mites or any other issues are quickly replaced with swarms or splits so I don't bother with any meds other than maybe a bit of powdered sugar. I don't use any special equipment either. I have some screened bottom boards and some solid. All of my hives are langstroth hives. I do lose a hive occasionaly to the cold winters, but they too are replaced with spring swarms or splits. I could easily keep a dozen or so hives here if I had a mind to. I have given away more swarms than I can remember and usually just keep 4 or 5 hives for my family. I may add a couple more this summer. It's easy to steal queens, brood and honey when you have several hives to steal from :-)

[PerryJeff]

Hi Karen, I have not had a colony make their own queen from eggs yet. I have heard of several people doing that also. It is nice to keep going with survival queens I agree but I want to bring in and build the best I can for now. Time will tell if this turns out to be a waste of money or not. What do you usually get honey wise per hive? I bounce between 50-100 lbs. a year but I don't manage near as much as I should at adding boxes. Pollination is my number one use for the bees. It sounds like you are doing things right for you.
Thanks
Jeff

[ANVIL]

Karen, you have a fresh aproch to beekeeping. I had never heard of replaceing queens this way but it makes sence. I hate haveing to relay on store bought queens. Thanks for something to think about. I hope you post more on your methods. It sounds like the way to go for people who are preping.