Tec,
The connection of swarming and the mating time of queens you ask? OH, let not your heart be troubled, or pained by the nitpicking ventures of the journey of the discussion at hand. Who connected them? Does not a discussion take make forms, twists and angles? I would not waste much time on such matters of uncertanty.
I merely mentioned swarming due to the fact that many books also mention a "timeframe" (my definition differs from that so-called 98% explanation stated above) when swarms occur.
I pointed out the 1 pm to 5 pm that was made (more than once) at HAS as something that was not suggestive of "Perhaps", "usually", "probably" or anything of the matter. It was stated as clear as day and in black and white terms......."Queens mate between 1 pm and 5 pm". This coming from a well versed beekeeper with very strong credentials.
This is not a scientific study that needs to discount probabilities and variations to the finding at hand. It is instructing new beekeepers that queens NEVER mate outside 1 pm and 5 pm....which is absolutely false, and should be gaurded against in making such incorrect statements. The edges of the bell curve usually go for a period beyond incorrect statements such as those noted.
I would of felt much better if a statement such as "Queens normally mate between 1 pm and 5 pm, but that is not set in concrete. They have been known (I know) to mate at other times".
You can rationalize, slice and dice, and pick the comments all day long. Queens do not mate ONLY between 1 pm and 5 pm. That is wrong, and new beekeepers should be told that. If your inspecting your hive at 11 am or 12:55 pm, and can not find that just newly emerged queen in the hive, there IS a possibility she is out mating. DO NOT assume she is missing. DO NOT jump on the phone and order a new one. DO NOT take such statements as FACT, because the bees will prove you wrong. That statement is true.....
The connection of swarming and the mating time of queens you ask? OH, let not your heart be troubled, or pained by the nitpicking ventures of the journey of the discussion at hand. Who connected them? Does not a discussion take make forms, twists and angles? I would not waste much time on such matters of uncertanty.
I merely mentioned swarming due to the fact that many books also mention a "timeframe" (my definition differs from that so-called 98% explanation stated above) when swarms occur.
I pointed out the 1 pm to 5 pm that was made (more than once) at HAS as something that was not suggestive of "Perhaps", "usually", "probably" or anything of the matter. It was stated as clear as day and in black and white terms......."Queens mate between 1 pm and 5 pm". This coming from a well versed beekeeper with very strong credentials.
This is not a scientific study that needs to discount probabilities and variations to the finding at hand. It is instructing new beekeepers that queens NEVER mate outside 1 pm and 5 pm....which is absolutely false, and should be gaurded against in making such incorrect statements. The edges of the bell curve usually go for a period beyond incorrect statements such as those noted.
I would of felt much better if a statement such as "Queens normally mate between 1 pm and 5 pm, but that is not set in concrete. They have been known (I know) to mate at other times".
You can rationalize, slice and dice, and pick the comments all day long. Queens do not mate ONLY between 1 pm and 5 pm. That is wrong, and new beekeepers should be told that. If your inspecting your hive at 11 am or 12:55 pm, and can not find that just newly emerged queen in the hive, there IS a possibility she is out mating. DO NOT assume she is missing. DO NOT jump on the phone and order a new one. DO NOT take such statements as FACT, because the bees will prove you wrong. That statement is true.....
