Supply of Varroa free Queens

[Floyd]

Thought I would ask this question directly to the Scottish Beekeepers.

Managed my first full inspection yesterday, which turned out to be an oh dear moment.

Hive 1 strong hive sealed brood on 5 frames, nice marked queen from last year.

Hive 2 Drone layer

Hive 3 no brood, no sign of queen

I had already lost hive 4 due to isolation starvation despite ample fondant. My 5 frame nuc with last years raised queen sadly didnt make it.

My problem now is that being in a Varroa free area, my options of queen suppliers is limited. I have contacted Andrew Abrahams but the lack spring means that June would be the earliest.

He recommended merging Hive 2 and 3 and adding a frame from Hive 1 and feed heavily. This however will take sometime and even then queen mating may not be successful.

So does anyone know of any other Queen supplier that are in a Varroa free location.

Many thanks

[Jon]

In your situation would be tempted to just write off hives 2 and 3 as all you have there is old bees which are not much use. They will be dead within a few weeks.
Alternately you could remove any dud queens present and combine the remaining bees with hive 1 via newspaper.
Bear in mind though that any disaster with combining leave you queenless as you are down to one colony.

Adding a queen which will likely cost you £40, even if you can source one, to a few frames of old bees is not really a good idea. I would build up that strong colony and do a split as soon as it is feasible.

[Trog]

Whereabouts are you, Floyd?

[Floyd]

Trog,

I am on Scoraig, Wester-ross,although I am down in Fife monthly.

[Trog]

Maybe a bit far from Mull for me to help. What about your local association?

[Floyd]

Distance is certainly a problem would involve a 12 hour round trip, butthanks anyway.

Sadly my association in Digwall is is an infested area. The lady I got my original colonies from has now retired and the hives moved to an infected area.

May try to merge the two hives then place in a 5 frame nuc with a frame of eggs.

Will look to split hive 1 during June when I can get AMM queens from Colonsay.

Thanks anyway.

[greengumbo]

Distance is certainly a problem would involve a 12 hour round trip, butthanks anyway.

Sadly my association in Digwall is is an infested area. The lady I got my original colonies from has now retired and the hives moved to an infected area.

May try to merge the two hives then place in a 5 frame nuc with a frame of eggs.

Will look to split hive 1 during June when I can get AMM queens from Colonsay.

Thanks anyway.

You could easily post a queen with some attendants from Mull to Wester Ross. Even a few days in a cage would be fine. Many of the commercial outfits do it all the time and I bought a mated queen last year that arrived in top shape in her wee cage via royal mail.

[Trog]

GG, I think the post from Mull to Wester Ross would take too long - it would go all round the houses before it got there and she'd be dead by then!

[Bridget]

So do a test mailing. I'm sometimes quite surprised by the speed of the post to our neck of the woods though I admit not as remote as you are

[Trog]

Inverness-shire to Wester Ross no problem - possibly same sorting office (Inverness?). Our post goes to Glasgow or Paisley first, I think. Had Floyd been fairly local, I might have been able to help but there are beekeepers nearer to home in fully varroa-free zones who'll be needing queens too.