Egg incubator- any good for Qcs?

[jeff33]

Just a quick question to see if anyone has used the digital egg incubators available on fleabay for their queen cells?
They are pretty cheap (£30 ish) and you can set the temperature but I don't think you can control moisture content although you can add water in the incubator. Thanks

 

[Curly green finger's]

Just a quick question to see if anyone has used the digital egg incubators available on fleabay for their queen cells?
They are pretty cheap (£30 ish) and you can set the temperature but I don't think you can control moisture content although you can add water in the incubator. Thanks

I've had a go Jeff for the first time using one. 6 out of 10 queen's have emerged.. I sprayed water ones a day much the same as we do eggs here.

Im going to put lots more in now

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=46672

 

[jeff33]

I saw that earlier Mark, good result. I may buy one just to save me going back and forth to the apiary

 

[Curly green finger's]

I saw that earlier Mark, good result. I may buy one just to save me going back and forth to the apiary

I was very sceptical Jeff that it would work but it does.
Im wondering if I leave the other 4 cells for another two days?
But we are going into day 17/18

 

[B+.]

Just a quick question to see if anyone has used the digital egg incubators available on fleabay for their queen cells?
They are pretty cheap (£30 ish) and you can set the temperature but I don't think you can control moisture content although you can add water in the incubator. Thanks

It might work fine but I would run it for a few days with a secondary sensor (oven probe, etc) before you risk any cells to it.
Relative humidity can range between 50-70% without killing your queens so a pan of water in the bottom is enough for most people.
I have a Brinsea Ova-Easy Advance-EX which has an external water source. It is way bigger and more complicated than you need for a few cells.

 

[jeff33]

It might work fine but I would run it for a few days with a secondary sensor (oven probe, etc) before you risk any cells to it.
Relative humidity can range between 50-70% without killing your queens so a pan of water in the bottom is enough for most people.
I have a Brinsea Ova-Easy Advance-EX which has an external water source. It is way bigger and more complicated than you need for a few cells.

Thanks Paul and yes that was exactly my point Paul, I probably raise a maximum of 30 cells in the season and do batches of 10 grafts at the time so there is no point me spending anymore than £35.

I currently leave them in the cell builder until day 14 the incubator seems to be an easier option an allow me to get the Q+ cell builder reconfigured quicker.

Mark, it might be worth leaving another day just to see?

 

[Etton]

Thanks Paul and yes that was exactly my point Paul, I probably raise a maximum of 30 cells in the season and do batches of 10 grafts at the time so there is no point me spending anymore than £35.

I currently leave them in the cell builder until day 14 the incubator seems to be an easier option an allow me to get the Q+ cell builder reconfigured quicker.

Mark, it might be worth leaving another day just to see?

Works for me too. I have put in before day 14 and they have emerged ok. If just a few cells that I have cut away with a stanley knife I melt a small bit of wax uppermost in the incubator and stick the cells on so that they hang down in the incubator. But beware sometimes the first queen to emerge may destroy other QC's, so if its possible, fit QC protectors.

 

[jeff33]

Good point. I will put them in roller cages as I graft into the nicot cups. How do you go about keeping them upright in the incubator?

 

[B+.]

Good point. I will put them in roller cages as I graft into the nicot cups. How do you go about keeping them upright in the incubator?

The Brinsea is designed for incubating eggs. Obviously, different birds lay different sized eggs....so, each of the six incubation trays has slots in the side so you can hold whatever size egg you want. This works just as well for holding the Nicot cage vertically. I also have a Carricell portable incubator so the foam insert from that can hold 144 cells until they are ready to emerge.
This is well beyond your current requirements though.