Author Topic: OTS queen rearing? thoughts?  (Read 10423 times)

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Offline neillsayers

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OTS queen rearing? thoughts?
« on: December 04, 2015, 10:11:34 pm »
I've been reading up on OTS queen rearing and splits as a method to break the varroa mite lifecycle while building a strong colony. Anyone have experience and opinions on this?
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Offline pistolpete

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Re: OTS queen rearing? thoughts?
« Reply #1 on: December 05, 2015, 08:38:21 pm »
I have used this method for about 3 years.  It is an excellent way of raising small numbers of queens.  Uses the bees natural instincts, but you get queen cells where you want them.  Typically I take a strong hive in early May, take away the queen to make a Nuc.   Then I notch cells on 3 frames and mark them.  2 weeks later I take away 2 of the QC frames to make up 2 more Nucs and leave the parent hive with 2 or 3 cells.

If you time the brood cycle break to take place either way before or right after your best honey flows, it works great.   If you time it wrong, you sacrifice most of your honey production for the year.

the way a brood break works on varroa: the mites stay on the adult bees during the broodless period.  Then when the first brood gets capped, the mites infest those cells at multiple mites/cell.  That kills the host larva and the mites starve.

You can greatly increase the efficacy of the brood break if do a mite treatment while the hive is broodless, but some of the treatments are also hard on the queens

My advice: worth price charged :)
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Offline rwlaw

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Re: OTS queen rearing? thoughts?
« Reply #2 on: December 09, 2015, 09:03:39 am »
I use the method for splits in May and it works well. Depending on the hive I can get anywhere from 2 to 5 frames with queen cells on them.
 I've been dispatching the queens at summer solstice for the brood breaks, but I'm still having a mite problems in some hives and some are fine, so there's something that has to be ironed out, as I don't like to treat I'm working with Mel to try a few things.
 
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: OTS queen rearing? thoughts?
« Reply #3 on: December 09, 2015, 10:37:32 pm »
It works. I have done it successfully several times.  EMailed Mel and asked permission to link to his video, which he gave without hesitation.

    http://www.outyard.net/queens.html

   The hardest part of raising queens is knowing how to persuade the bees to do all the work!

   
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Offline neillsayers

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Re: OTS queen rearing? thoughts?
« Reply #4 on: December 10, 2015, 10:21:19 am »
Thanks lazy,
 Enjoyed that!
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Offline capt44

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Re: OTS queen rearing? thoughts?
« Reply #5 on: March 12, 2016, 07:37:37 pm »
There are several ways to rear queens.
The OTS system is okay for a beekeeper needing keep a few queens on hand during the season.
But I need lot's of queens so I graft.
Capt44

Offline Curtchann

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Re: OTS queen rearing? thoughts?
« Reply #6 on: July 18, 2016, 10:56:02 am »
Purchased Mel's book and plan to use this method. A plus for me is that Mel keeps bees about 3 miles from me.

Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: OTS queen rearing? thoughts?
« Reply #7 on: July 31, 2016, 06:56:50 pm »
Purchased Mel's book and plan to use this method. A plus for me is that Mel keeps bees about 3 miles from me.

   After having emailed him a couple of times, I found him to be respectable and easy to talk to. If he lived that close to me I'd be introducing myself and volunteering to work for free.. strong back weak mind interested in gathering knowledge!
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Offline tedh

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Re: OTS queen rearing? thoughts?
« Reply #8 on: July 31, 2016, 07:14:18 pm »
Man oh man.  Why not?   It's what I did (with a nudge from iddee).  I remember getting a GREAT meal out of it too.  And a good friend!  Ted
Share that which you have an abundance of.  In doing so both the giver and receiver are enriched.

Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: OTS queen rearing? thoughts?
« Reply #9 on: August 01, 2016, 08:57:06 pm »
Man oh man.  Why not?   It's what I did (with a nudge from iddee).  I remember getting a GREAT meal out of it too.  And a good friend!  Ted

   And a couple queens! AND some fishing, and a dirty look (And a threat of bodily harm).   :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :yes:
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Offline tedh

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Re: OTS queen rearing? thoughts?
« Reply #10 on: August 02, 2016, 09:27:48 pm »
Ahhhhh, actually I was refering to the first time I invited myself to your place Lazy! 
Share that which you have an abundance of.  In doing so both the giver and receiver are enriched.

Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: OTS queen rearing? thoughts?
« Reply #11 on: August 06, 2016, 05:54:48 pm »
AHHH ok, I thought you meant the trip to South Carolina....     :yes:       :no:     :laugh:  :laugh:  :laugh:
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Offline iddee

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Re: OTS queen rearing? thoughts?
« Reply #12 on: August 06, 2016, 06:04:57 pm »
Sounds like a description of both trips.   :P   ;D
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: OTS queen rearing? thoughts?
« Reply #13 on: August 06, 2016, 06:25:52 pm »
 ;D     :-[     O:-)
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Offline Curtchann

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Re: OTS queen rearing? thoughts?
« Reply #14 on: August 07, 2016, 12:30:18 pm »
Purchased Mel's book and plan to use this method. A plus for me is that Mel keeps bees about 3 miles from me.

   After having emailed him a couple of times, I found him to be respectable and easy to talk to. If he lived that close to me I'd be introducing myself and volunteering to work for free.. strong back weak mind interested in gathering knowledge!

Lazy, I plan too! The guy I bought my Michigan nucs from is also local and is good friends with Mel. I plan to see Mel next Saturday at his open yard time.

Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: OTS queen rearing? thoughts?
« Reply #15 on: August 07, 2016, 07:00:51 pm »
I am green with envy!    :yes:
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Offline tedh

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Re: OTS queen rearing? thoughts?
« Reply #16 on: August 07, 2016, 08:39:15 pm »
Hey Scott, how long of a drive would it be?   8)  Ted
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Offline iddee

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Re: OTS queen rearing? thoughts?
« Reply #17 on: August 07, 2016, 09:51:06 pm »
I'm not Scott, but 6 1/2 to 7 hours one way.
“Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”
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Offline tecumseh

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Re: OTS queen rearing? thoughts?
« Reply #18 on: August 08, 2016, 07:28:26 am »
like the red queen I am running as fast as I can just to keep up.  can anyone give me a simple description of the OTS method?

Offline Lburou

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Re: OTS queen rearing? thoughts?
« Reply #19 on: August 08, 2016, 10:45:54 am »
Tec, it hasn't worked for me (a minority) but HERE is a link to a pdf outlining the "On The Spot" Queen rearing by Mel Disselkoen.
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