Jenter kit Queen cells

[wightbees]

I'm very happy with these as it's my first attempt using this system and with a little bit of a rocky start with getting the bees to keep the eggs in the plugs which delayed this by 3 days.

Here's the results

 

[garysbee]

I bought one this year but still in she'd . cells looking good

 

[wightbees]

Thanks Gary I can see why grafting is used but I can also see the benefits of this kit too. Going to do another batch in ten days time.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

I have a cupkit but i've only used it twice; preferring to graft. What you've done looks good though!

 

[wightbees]

Thank you Hebe , I think it was luck lol will be trying another batch later this month, really hope it goes this well again. What don't you like about cupkit?

 

[madasafish]

My last try with a Cupkit = 6 QCs - 1 sealed today and the other five due rest of week..
Now 6 out of 18 seems a poor try but frankly I - as a hobby beek - would have been happy with three.

That's me done for the year.. 17 queens..(assuming all 6 get mated).
The weather has been ideal for mating - when needed. All the queens raised have successfully mated.
For people like me with poor eyesight and ageing hand/eye co-ordination, Cupkits are very easy to use..

 

[wightbees]

I agree, these kits do make life easier to a degree. It's getting the bees to except the eggs once the Queen is released that I found difficult. But even with them not playing ball it only put me back 3 days.
I found a strong magnifying glass useful as some of these lava are so small I struggled to find them! I have only cut out cells/ lava before but prefer this kit I think.

 

[madasafish]

I agree, these kits do make life easier to a degree. It's getting the bees to except the eggs once the Queen is released that I found difficult. But even with them not playing ball it only put me back 3 days.
I found a strong magnifying glass useful as some of these lava are so small I struggled to find them! I have only cut out cells/ lava before but prefer this kit I think.

Yes I use a magnifying glass. and yes I too struggle to see.. which is why my success rate is variable.

( I leave Jenter in hive for 4 days prior to introducing a queen. And re-use cups)

 

[wightbees]

I did leave kit in before hand but with out exclude over the plugs, come back to it filled with stores lol. Scrapped it out and put above CB for them to clean up then back in with the Queen. Worked just got back now and I have 17 cells. All sealed and I have put roller cage over them all.

 

[betterbee]

look in the back of the cup look for a verry small pool of larvae for youngest hatches

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Thank you Hebe , I think it was luck lol will be trying another batch later this month, really hope it goes this well again. What don't you like about cupkit?

I don't dislike it but it's quick and easy to grab a frame from a selected colony and transfer larvae into cups (I use the cupkit cups) and pop them into a receptive hive - less planning involved I guess than waiting for 4 days! I usually graft 9 or 10 at a time which is enough for my needs.

Poundland glasses are a must for me with a small brush for the transfer. If you get glasses that are relatively thin and square rather than big ones, you can look over them when walking about the apiary without getting eyestrain and then look down through the lens to do the work.

 

[madasafish]

Thought I would share the timetable of my latest attempt using Nicot Cupkit as it's interesting:
4th July: Inserted queen into Nicot.
5th July: checked for eggs: None. Left queen in cage.
6th July : eggs. Removed queen So Day 1.
8th July: moved larvae - and eggs on side into cells. and placed in Q- starter. (Cloake Board)
9th July : one QC started Cloake divider removed so starter becomes a finisher
no further inspections until
12th July : one QC sealed. (Caged it) Five other in progress
13th July 4 other QC sealed. Caged them. One other in progress. not yet sealed (today?)

Bear in mind I wear varifocals, my eyesight is poor, close up work is a struggle to focus etc..


Looks like there may be a two day difference between earliest and latest emerging...

 

[B+.]

Looks like there may be a two day difference between earliest and latest emerging...

The 16 days usually quoted as the development time for queen bees is an average. Some may take a little less, others a little more.
You've done well to get sealed cells from a cage. I gave up on the things. Even with varifocals, I find grafting more successful than cages.

 

[wightbees]

4th July: Inserted queen into Nicot.
5th July: checked for eggs: None. Left queen in cage.
6th July : eggs. Removed queen So Day 1) Quote

I had to do the same as you (above quote) but the bees then remove all the eggs once I let the Q out! Then she laid it straight back up again? This is the only problem I have had really.
I have 17 sealed cell now in roller cages. Am I right in thinking the bees can feed the Q through the side's of these?

 

[For want of a better word]

Have you tried leaving the queen trapped in the Nicot/ Jenter cage for an extra 24 hours... bees seem not to remove the eggs then and start pooling food in around them.

Yeghes da

 

[wightbees]

That's a good idea but she was in there for 48hrs would another 24 hrs be ok ?

 

[madasafish]

I have 17 sealed cell now in roller cages. Am I right in thinking the bees can feed the Q through the side's of these?

I assume so. I always leave 2-4 workers in the cage to attend to the QC and emerged Q.

 

[Poly Hive]

Good grafting glasses

I see that glasses are an ongoing issue.

I went to ASDA, but check your shop has an optician before travelling, and spoke to the people there and told them exactly what the challenge was, tiny white thread on white... blah blah.. and they made me a pair which are spot on.

Cost? £40. They are much better for grafting than my trifocals. Oh and they were £99 for two pairs..................

PH

 

[nantmoel]

I gave up on the things. Even with varifocals, I find grafting more successful than cages.

I agree with B+, last season I used a Nicot, I tried it once this season and they removed all the eggs! Grrrrrrr.. So I have taken to grafting, it really is not as hard as people think. I purchased a pair of magnifying glasses with a built in LED. I graft, the use the cloak board method and remove cells into an incubator once sealed. B+ has been a great help to me.

 

[B+.]

B+ has been a great help to me.

That's nice of you to say so nantmoel. I'll help anyone who asks. If I don't know the answer, I'll say so. That's the best I can do.