Jenter type kits

[Brian Bush]

Hi All
Has anyone any advice and tips in using a Jenter type kit. I have just ordered Swienty's version of Queen rearing Kit. I want to get cracking ASAP I need to raise 5 to 10 queens for my own use.

 

[BKF Admin]

Melt a little wax and brush the cups,let the bee's clean out for 24 hours before putting the queen in.

 

[Heather]

Will try that then... I made up cups, left in a hive for 24 hrs as recommended, then put queen in for 24hrs - -zilch. she treated it with distain.
Trying again as soon as weather better, with another queen.

 

[marcros]

i wiped the face of mine (brand new) with some honey filled brace comb. really smeared it on, and gave it to them for 24 hours. She took to it straight away. The instructions actually say to leave it in the hive all year round.

 

[Heather]

Thanks, will try that - wish this weather would improve- high winds not good for virgins - or the rest of us!

 

[Heather]

Tried again with my Jenter. This time she laid a lovely egg in every permanent cup and left every removable cup empty - - help

 

[Poly Hive]

Not unusual Heather, this is where you graft.

PH

 

[Heather]

Have done - yesterday - insurance! Will look tomorrow -
but is this usual - and why - what was the difference- she obviously realised there was- I didn't handle the cups after the 24 hrs in the hive with no queen locked in -
If this is usual - why haven't Jenter investigated and offered a solution!!

Rain today - but Thursday onwards hotter so maybe queens will mate also- even local Bee farm are having problems with virgins taking the pledge!! They are producing queens but struggling with infertility.

 

[Poly Hive]

I think that there is not a solution other than to graft out of the cups on the fourth day. It's annoying I agree but it still give you good time control.

I have had it happen to be more than once.

PH

 

[BKF Admin]

After failing twice with the Jenta kit I spoke with a Queen breader for advice.

His advice was simple: LEARN TO GRAFT!

 

[Poly Hive]

Sage advice.

PH

 

[Heather]

Ok - the grafts from 2 days ago - thay have built comb down - ignoring the larvae - Must I have a queen already albeit she has never come into lay - There has been no brood for 2 weeks
Find and dump......

May take up crocheting instead!!

 

[BKF Admin]

May take up crocheting instead!!

That has to be post of the week

 

[Crg]

After failing twice with the Jenta kit I spoke with a Queen breader for advice.

His advice was simple: LEARN TO GRAFT!

When I have raised queens in the past I grafted. This year I tried the nicot cup kit and it seems much easier than grafting* - especially if you're going to raise quite a few. The queen laid an egg in pretty much every removable cup.

I gave the comb a very light brush of wax and left it in the hive for a couple of days before confining the queen to it.

(*it also meant my wife could move the eggs to the cell bases and place them into queen rearing colony when I was at work which making it even easier for me She wouldn't have been up for grafting).

 

[Finman]

.
I bought the jenter kit. I may produce 100 queens but I need only 15 at one time. Limiting factor is mating nucs.

Expencive stuff but good.

I use nowadays mostly swarm hives to rear queeuns. I change the larva to better and I get beautifull fat queens. Swarming hive is very anxious to feed its larvae, much more better than your make the hive queenless. I take mating nuc bees & frames from the same hive.

One production may fail totally, and that is why I use often 2 swarming hive in rearing.

 

[jon]

Finman, the larva which you remove, does it matter what age it is or is the only important factor the age of the new larva you graft into the cell.

 

[Finman]

Finman, the larva which you remove, does it matter what age it is or is the only important factor the age of the new larva you graft into the cell.

The larva, what you exit, it does not matter even if it is capped.

It must be so small as you get.


Of course the most important is that you have a good mother hive, where you get your new queen larvae.

 

[honeyman]

I've always grafted but was told by one of the BIBBA old boys to spraythe Jenter with syrup before placing it in the hive (He also set his into a cut out on a fully drawn comb), and introduce the queen a day or better 2 later.

My favourite grafting tool is a very fine large handled sable brush Daler Rowney E81 Spotter - Just found it bristles down in with the kids paint brushes - Doh!

 

[Poly Hive]

I just cannot get the hang of using a brush.

The double cranked swiss tool for me every time.

The Jenter should of course be sprayed or brushed with syrup before using and of course the cups should be primed by screwing them into cut comb foundation.

Then after all that and the 48 hours familiarization period, the q is found and confined for 24 hours.

Then you graft. However you do know the age of the larvae to 12 hours which is a wee advantage.

How old a larvae do you graft? Under three days and preferably under 12 hours.

PH