Caging Queen Cells

[nantmoel]

If I cage grafted queen cells, when the virgins emerge will the bees feed them? I'm asking as I could away when the emerge, only for a few days.

 

[Finman]

.
When I have grafted on sunday, the first queens emerge on next week's thursday evening. It is 12 days grafting day included. It tells too, that larvae have been 1 day old.

Bees feed them.

If virgins are 5 days in cages, bees start to kill them. They ball the cage.

 

[B+.]

If I cage grafted queen cells, when the virgins emerge will the bees feed them?

The queen will sometimes go back into the cell head-first to clean out the remainder of any food that is left. She then can't get back out. This is probably more of a worry than feeding (banking) the virgin. Obviously, you don't want to leave them for too long as the workers will become aggressive and bite the tarsi (http://articles.extension.org/pages/21756/thorax-of-the-honey-bee#Legs)

 

[Finman]

.
It is better to do mating nucs from rearing hive, and let queen cells emerge in the nuc. Best is move nucs to another apiary that bees do not abandon the nuc.

 

[B+.]

.
It is better to do mating nucs from rearing hive, and let queen cells emerge in the nuc..

Indeed, but, if his absence is unavoidable, caging shoulld be ok for a couple of days.

 

[Finman]

Indeed, but, if his absence is unavoidable, caging shoulld be ok for a couple of days.

I do not know his affairs. I just told.
.

 

[nantmoel]

Thanks you all for the replies, its my first ever grafting so I'm not holding my breath on this one. I have already learnt loads from my first grafting. The main one being a good light!