Ben Harden Method

[Finman]

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I use swarming colonies in queen rearing. I shange the larvae in queen cells. The hive is earger to feed larvae.

To make a big colony for queen rearing is out of honey production. In small yard loss of 100 kg honey is a big gap.

Then I use in mating nucs the bees of rearing hive and accepting losses are minimal. It it an end of rearing hive but somewhere I must get bees to 10-15 mating nucs.

 

[Stickyfingers]

I use Q+ for raising cells, but like to have one or two supers in between the deep boxes, cells are removed to incubator five or six days after grafting, and another set of grafts given.

I assume after they are sealed?

 

[alanf]

I use Q+ for raising cells, but like to have one or two supers in between the deep boxes, cells are removed to incubator five or six days after grafting, and another set of grafts given.

Sounds similar to some of the ideas propounded by New Zealanders like Woodward and based on Harry Cloake's methods.

 

[DanBee]

It's a bit like the choice of hive really. The basic requirements - in this case state of colony, timings - remain the same but the specifics are selected to suit the beekeeper's requirements, resources, time, goals, etc.

And just like hives, the same ideas pop up every now and then, or are rediscovered by a new generation

 

[Hivemaker.]

I assume after they are sealed?

Yes after they are sealed, and carefully.

 

[Suzi Q]

Just a question about this method of queen raising. How does it effect the colonys own swarming preparations for this year? (If there is to be any) Is there any liklihood of swarm cells being started in the bottom brood box?

 

[DanBee]

Just a question about this method of queen raising. How does it effect the colonys own swarming preparations for this year? (If there is to be any) Is there any liklihood of swarm cells being started in the bottom brood box?

If we're still talking about the Ben Harden etc. method and not the other one, you need to check carefully at each cycling of "brood up, space down" that the lower brood is not harbouring queen cells. How many and how frequently you find them varies by colony, so I would not say that this method promotes or discourages them to any degree.

If you are using this method to put in a succession of grafts, to provide a steady supply of queen batches for mating as opposed to a single batch, then this checking for 'rogue' queen cells becomes a simple part of the routine.

Do have sympathy for the colony, though. To run this method aggressively and frequently with a lot of grafts for a prolonged period will take its toll on the colony. I prefer to do fewer grafts weekly, in parallel in several such queen raising colonies, and cease this arrangement by at latest the end of June. Mating nucs are vulnerable to wasp robbing from late July onwards anyway.

 

[Suzi Q]

Thank you DanBee, I was only going to try the once, or until I can raise a few extra queens for my needs.

 

[victor meldrew]

Yes after they are sealed, and carefully.

I've chucked Q cells in a bucket , left it out over night and found queens chasing each other around the bottom of the bucket the morning after !
Tougher than they look .However, care is exercised with Q cells I require !
VM

 

[Hivemaker.]

I've chucked Q cells in a bucket , left it out over night and found queens chasing each other around the bottom of the bucket the morning after !
Tougher than they look .However, care is exercised with Q cells I require !
VM

Not the day after they are sealed John, they are rather more delicate then, as the larvae are still feeding jelly.