Grafting reassurance sought

[B+.]

Absolutely right on Apidea instructions, but my experience is there is no comb-building while Q- but the day a cell goes in the popcorn fires up. But yes, I did do that.

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I suggest that you let the virgin emerge in the incubator before introduction to the mating hive. Of course, this isn't the only way to do it, but, at least you will know they have a live queen to start with

 

[foghornleghorn]

You could put in a but of a queen pheromone strip before the cell to get the apidea going.

 

[madasafish]

I always put the bees into the Apidea and then immediately add QC..Seems to work OK (as our Association does at its apiaries) .Or add virgin to Apidea and then cup of bees.

 

[B+.]

I always put the bees into the Apidea and then immediately add QC..Seems to work OK (as our Association does at its apiaries) .Or add virgin to Apidea and then cup of bees.

Either can work. However, if you spray the bees with water before measuring a cupful for your Apidea, you'll get wet bees clustering on your queen cell. Not good if the cell is chilled.

 

[masterBK]

I like to leave the bees in the Apidea for an hour til they know they are queenless and are roaring and then add the Q cell. Also I use ripe queen cells about 1 or 2 days off emergence. Find I don't get cells neglected that way.

 

[Beefriendly]

Just done exactly that this afternoon.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

So: next round of grafts, everything exactly the same: graft on Day 3-4 and everyone open on day 7-8.

AND the Qs I was worried about are ENORMOUS. Thanks for the reassurance, everyone!