Grafting and finishing QC's

[nantmoel]

I'm going to graft for the first time in a few weeks, can some of you fellow Beeks here tell me what methods you use for rearing the grafted cells, there are so many methods I just want to see what others are doing.

 

[MuswellMetro]

not grating but punch cells with eggs in cupkits

i use the ben Harden method on a strong colony with a super ready to extract and use cupkits in a super frame

to increase success i clear a capped super down into the ben harden box +suppers immediately i put the cup kit bar in

once started i move the cup kit frame to a super and recharge the Ben harden Box and add more punch cells in a new cupkit super frame

 

[Poly Hive]

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7767

PH

 

[snelgrove]

I'm use the method decried in guide to bees and honey by ted hooper, double brood colony made into massive size , reduced to super on floor excluder broodbox with 9 frames of sealed brood and frame of unsealed brood and pollen frame in middle, grafts go between these frames.
I have obtained excellent queens this way. I'm also use any strong colony with swarming intentions by removing queen and letting them build cells, then destroy these and introduce my grafts.
I use wax cell cups but have tried jenter aswel.

 

[domino]

I use this method http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/index.cfm?sectionid=80

 

[snelgrove]

I use this method http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/index.cfm?sectionid=80

I would imagine as not being queenless they wuld not build many cells, is this the case?

 

[domino]

I would imagine as not being queenless they wuld not build many cells, is this the case?

I grafted into cups and they build them just fine.

 

[B+.]

I'm going to graft for the first time in a few weeks, .

Why wait? This is the perfect time to rear queens

 

[Plenty of honey]

I use Michael Palmers method. Add 10 frames of brood to an already strong colony. After 8 to 10 days, make it hopelessly queen less, with half the size it originally was, In goes your grafts, with a pollen frame and feed and mimic a flow if their isn't one running.
5 days later, reassemble the original set up, putting taken grafts above the excluder for finishing.
I love this method. There are many ways of doing this though. just find one that works well for you. when you find that method, use it.

Queen rearing in the sustainable apiary.

https://youtu.be/R7tinVIuBJ8

 

[Poly Hive]

The method of choice will dictate how many queens are possible. Q+ methods I have found to be problimatic which is why I prefer the nuc box of baby bees. It can also give you a decent number of acceptances, say 20+ from 36. And of course you can leave one with the nuc when finished with it after three sets of grafts have gone through to produce another nucleus colony or just a queen.

Also as it can be made up at the drop of a hat it gives good flexibility.

PH

 

[Hivemaker.]

I would imagine as not being queenless they wuld not build many cells, is this the case?

If set up right and strong, as they should be, they will easily start 100 cells at a time, this can be repeated every day, if need be, or leave twenty and distribute the others in frames of 20/24 to other Q+ finishers, if removing cells to an incubator, these finishers can be given another set of grafts to finish every five or six days.

 

[nantmoel]

Why wait? This is the perfect time to rear queens

I'm away at the moment, but need to plan a few things when I get home, but I agree this is a perfect time to graft. We have only had our breeder just over a week.

 

[Eyeman]

In my small scale set up I've tried a number of methods of Q rearing.
1. Started off using grafts into a Q right colony after attending a course. Best method especially if you have an incubator and insert the virgins into mini mating nucs. Not used this method this year as too many jobs on the go!
2. Removing the queen and getting them to raise emergency QC's. my attempt at notching didn't work but I did get some nice looking queens. CONS: Messing about cutting big holes in the frames to get the QC's out. Amount of wax that needs the remain attached to the QC makes it difficult to insert the QC into a incubator cage or mini mating nuc. PROS: the colony had been made brood less so OAV will work well.
3. Harvesting the QC's in a Demaree. I'm using this on 2 hives and the QC's look nice (as said before they look like supercedure QC's). Those QC's located next to the wood work can be easily damaged when trying to remove them. Still, there were 5-6 QC's in each colony last week and 3 were damaged during removal.

 

[wessexmario]

... Those QC's located next to the wood work can be easily damaged when trying to remove them. Still, there were 5-6 QC's in each colony last week and 3 were damaged during removal.

what tool do you use to cut out the queen cells?

 

[Eyeman]

Hi
Fine (thin) blade pocket knife

 

[wessexmario]

wondering if a small pair of scissors [nail scissors] might be more accurate and cause less damage, as it'll put equal pressure each side of the soft wax it cuts, rather than one-sided pressure with a knife?

 

[Eyeman]

wondering if a small pair of scissors [nail scissors] might be more accurate and cause less damage, as it'll put equal pressure each side of the soft wax it cuts, rather than one-sided pressure with a knife?

Would have thought the nail scissors to be thicker than my knife. Main problem is not distorting the QC but cutting it flush with the woodwork so that it doesn't open up.