Cleaning plastic queen cell cups?

[Chris B]

Anyone done this with success? i.e. cleaning used cups and getting good acceptance 2nd time around.

I can't find my bag of new ones and was hoping to graft before the weekend.

Thanks

 

[RoofTops]

Worth a try - wash in hot water and then spray with sugar syrup and give back to the bees for 24 hours in the grafting frame. Let the bees do the cleaning. Might not even be necessary to wash them first.

 

[Chris B]

Thanks RT.
I may have an answer. Just boiled a batch in washing soda and they look good. We'll see if the bees agree.

 

[winmag270]

i'd give 'em a rinse first.... lol

 

[Poly Hive]

Make some wax ones, easier to graft into as well, can press into the bottom with the tool.

PH

 

[Hombre]

. . . and was hoping to graft before the weekend.

Thanks

Yes, it was rather cold yesterday . . .I took my cue from the dandelions and stayed in.

 

[beebreeder]

Hi Chris
I presume you mean cupkit or similar, Ron Hoskins showed me a drill that he had re-dressed on a bench grinder to fit the cell shape, just a couple of turns by hand brought out all the debris and pupal casing. The advantage is that the hive smell is retained so they could be grafted straight into.
kev

 

[rowbow]

wash in soda dont rinse them off, I have been informed that with old foundation you can dip them in washing soda the bees love it.

John http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/Smiles/grouphug.gif

 

[keith pierce]

Put them in with the cutlery in the dish washer for a couple of washes. Then take them out and clean then with a ear cleaning bud, while running them under cold water..Clean as a whistle

 

[Max]

I tried cleaning them with washing soda and the bees had a high rejection rate, so I put new 30 cups in at a time and not 100, the queen lays in all of them and I take the best 20 and bin the rest.

I then start again with new cups as the price for 100 is only a fiver and the acceptance rate is 100%, so why bother cleaning them.

This way I get 90 eggs over 3 sessions for less then an fiver!!

Follow the path of least resistance.