How to make a queen cell protector cup.

[The Apprentices]

First of all take a suitable piece of hardwood and turn a winding blank to the desired shape to mimic a queen cell.

Measure the diameter of a cell and add another 8.00mm overall so the cell can be removed easily later.

Drill a small hole right through the former near the end so the wire can be pushed right through.

Take a five foot length of wire off the roll making sure there are no kinks in it and then push the end through the hole so it sticks out the other side by about 6.00mm.

With the former still in the lathe chuck turn the chuck manually over and away from you from the top.

Make sure the first winding is on the inside of the wire poking through so that it holds firmly and forms a neat coil amd start winding from the point inwards.

Keeping a tight hold of the wire amd let the wire slip through your fingers or hold it near the other end with a pair of pliers when the length has decreased some, until you reach the end.

When you have about a couple of inches or so left carefully wind back along the coil and secure with some tape nice amd tight and leave the job for an hour or so to let the coil settle in.

Then remove the tape and the coil will spring back slightly and settle into the finished coil.

Now carefully snip off the starting end of the coil where you first inserted the wire and slide the coil off of the former and form the small handle for sticking the cup into the comb, about 20.00mm long or so should suffice.

You need to close down the very point of the cup by bending the last couple of turns to close the end or drop a small bead or wooden wedge inside to block the hole in the very end.

Finally cut a thin piece of tin to slide in between the top coils to close the entrance.

 

[gavin]

Nice job, but I just wrap a small piece of aluminium cooking foil around the cell leaving the tip exposed - quick, dirt cheap, works every time.

I've requeened drone layers this year that way.

G.

 

[The Apprentices]

Continued

 

[Hivemaker.]

Very good, and nice to also have your clear instructions and pictures of how to make one,athough cell protectors of any type are not i thing i have found to be of any use.

 

[The Apprentices]

Nice job, but I just wrap a small piece of aluminium cooking foil around the cell leaving the tip exposed - quick, dirt cheap, works every time.

I've requeened drone layers this year that way.

G.

My first protector was made from recycled copper wire from out of an old microwave over transformer that blew up on us when the kids decided to have a play.

The last cup lasted about ten years before I lost it, so I bought some better brass wire for these two new ones.

I keep them in an old 35mm film pot and hopefully these ones will see me out.

The beauty of making them from copper or other wire is, if they get sqashed you can unwind them and remake them in a couple of minuites.

 

[The Apprentices]

Very good, and nice to also have your clear instructions and pictures of how to make one,athough cell protectors of any type are not i thing i have found to be of any use.

Thanks for the responce

I'm in the process of making another website of how to make a wide sellection of bee making apparatus amd many other self sufficient type tools including wooden engineering and tool making projects for all.

I will admit that I am a tad Tom Good these days and like to recycle as much as I can without reliance on the system, its not very often I buy brand new if I can use my skills to make it myself.

Others are now en-route to a more sustainable existance and I always advise others to do the same in the coming years ahead.

Help those who want to help themselves.

 

[Poly Hive]

Never used a cell protector yet.

PH

 

[The Apprentices]

Never used a cell protector yet.

PH

What do you use instead.

 

[victor meldrew]

What do you use instead.

Bit of insulation tape used when queen rearing , otherwise first one out (the precocious one ) can have a field day

VM

 

[gavin]

I'm in the process of making another website of how to make a wide sellection of bee making apparatus amd many other self sufficient type tools including wooden engineering and tool making projects for all.

That sounds really good, looking forward to seeing more.

I'm sure that there are fans of cell protectors out there so don't be put off. The commercial ones have gaps between the windings - is there a need for workers to have some kind of access? As I said, foil works for me when I'm putting a cell into a strange colony and will even convert a drone laying colony.

 

[Poly Hive]

What do I use? Bees settled in their need, and so no protection needed.

KISS

PH

 

[victor meldrew]

What do I use? Bees settled in their need, and so no protection needed.

KISS

PH

Got to get your timing bang on and make sure larvae are the same age when grafting if you don't want any disasters . bit of foil/ insulating tape is cheap insurance

VM

 

[Poly Hive]

Lost me there VM.

I have never had an issue with cells being torn down by the bees. Possibly because of the way I manage the cells though.

PH

 

[hallshoney]

Q Cell protector

I have used kit kat wrapper in the past bit thinner than tin foil

 

[region2]

So what are they used for and why do you need 'em?

R2

 

[The Apprentices]

That sounds really good, looking forward to seeing more.

I'm sure that there are fans of cell protectors out there so don't be put off. The commercial ones have gaps between the windings - is there a need for workers to have some kind of access? As I said, foil works for me when I'm putting a cell into a strange colony and will even convert a drone laying colony.

Here is a picture of both my version, and my freinds 30 year old version which does have the gaps.
The gaps in the older coil serve no real purpous other than being able to see the cell inside.
Its actually easier to make them without any gaps and the coil can be made shorter then stretched to make the gaps afterwards if you like.

I cannot be put off if what I make for myself lasts and works as long as in the days of old, lots of people loose sight of what has happened in the past and adapt, which is their own creativity being released, a rare commodity in today's next day delivery model.

Thanks again.

 

[The Apprentices]

Lost me there VM.

I have never had an issue with cells being torn down by the bees. Possibly because of the way I manage the cells though.

PH

One day you will encounter a rouge colony which will do the nasty and nothing will discourage them.

 

[The Apprentices]

So what are they used for and why do you need 'em?

R2

The coil prevents the cell from being torn down or another queen killing other queens yet to emmerge.

The supercedure cell normally doesn't need any protection but a cell does if you are introducing a queen from another colony.

 

[The Apprentices]

The just in case tin by Golden Viginia, better to have than not.

 

[Hivemaker.]

I have never had an issue with cells being torn down by the bees. Possibly because of the way I manage the cells though.


Same here........and off in a couple of hours time to place 35 ripe cells from the incubator into nucs...never needed no cell protectors yet,and not had any cells that were intended for the bees to be torn down...they are in a state to really want the cells...not destroy them.