Cell starters

[rickyd20]

How many frames of bees are needed to make a cell starter?
I only have 14x12 hives, so I'm not able to do the double brood method, so I will likely have to borrow some frames from some of my hives.

 

[B+.]

How many frames of bees are needed to make a cell starter?
I only have 14x12 hives, so I'm not able to do the double brood method, so I will likely have to borrow some frames from some of my hives.

I usually fill two Langstoth deeps as full as I can with brood and enough food to keep them going.
I made a cell starter a week ago. It had 18 frames of brood, 1 with open cells they had started filling with nectar and 1 with pollen. I transferred all the adhering bees and shook as many extra frames of nurse bees in that I could spare. After 9 days I go through and destroy all the cells I can find. Then compress it down to a single box so they are overcrowded. This is when I put my frame of grafts in. I do two bars of 15 at a time. I know some people transfer them to a queenright hive after starting, but, I prefer to leave them until they are sealed. This way, I can be sure they have had the best care I can give them.

 

[rickyd20]

Ok thanks for that.
I definitely don't have the resources to make a box that strong. I was under the impression that the starter could be weaker, like a nuc, then once the cells had been drawn out slightly, then the frame could be transferred to a full hive, over an QE.

 

[B+.]

Ok thanks for that.
I definitely don't have the resources to make a box that strong. I was under the impression that the starter could be weaker, like a nuc, then once the cells had been drawn out slightly, then the frame could be transferred to a full hive, over an QE.

I wouldn't do it that way. If you want the very best queens you can make they need to be well nourished.

You might make a few queens in a nuc though.

 

[B+.]

Yes. A starter-finisher works that way. You might get by with a nuc, but the weather is pretty chilly at night. I wouldn't want to do it that way

 

[rickyd20]

Ok thanks for the help.
Seems I'm not well set up enough for it so I'll just stick to buying queens for now.

 

[B+.]

Ok thanks for the help.
Seems I'm not well set up enough for it so I'll just stick to buying queens for now.

Don't let me put you off. You may still be able to raise a few queens the way you talked about. I just told you the way I do it. I have made a lot of queens in the past that have underperformed and I came to the conclusion that I had to get each stage as good as I could make it.