Raising Bigger Queens. With thanks to the Apiarist

[Andy]

two and a half days

I wonder if just confining her to the run of the cups rather than the whole frame might be better? I was going to try and make something similar when I get some time.

 

[Andy]

I have reared 20 years queen in swarming cells. I change the larvae from good hives. They are really good queens.

The rearer colony accepts 100% larvae into their cups.

Then I take the frame with the queen cell and put into a nut. I move the nucs into a forest 2 kilometres away. All workers will stay at their new home.

Nuc bees are their rearers, and no problems with acceptance.

I was wondering if there was a way of fencing the queen into an area with a queen cup and seeing if she could be forced to lay in that if she has run out of normal cells to lay in.

 

[jarmo henttu]

I was wondering if there was a way of fencing the queen into an area with a queen cup and seeing if she could be forced to lay in that if she has run out of normal cells to lay in.

Moving a larva is very fast and simple job, much more easier than some fence.

 

[jarmo henttu]

This is based on a couple of papers by the Apiarist Parts 1 and 2
https://theapiarist.org/bigger-queens-better-queens-part-1/

" it is believed that to use of worker larvae produce smaller queens"

Me: every worker larvae are fed 3 first days with royal jelly.

MIllions of beekeeprs have reared queens on the Globe. Is that the result of all bee knowledge?... rethinking!

 

[madasafish]

Moving a larva is very fast and simple job, much more easier than some fence.

Easy enough if your eyesight and hand /eye co-ordination are OK. My grafting has grown steadily worse..with age. At 76 years old, I am experienced enough to know when to give up something that is not physically possible.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Easy enough if your eyesight and hand /eye co-ordination are OK. My grafting has grown steadily worse..with age. At 76 years old, I am experienced enough to know when to give up something that is not physically possible.

Perhaps a different way of queen rearing is needed then, imo confining a queen with a cell bar behind a qx is never really going to work there are easier ways.

 

[jarmo henttu]

Easy enough if your eyesight and hand /eye co-ordination are OK. My grafting has grown steadily worse..with age. At 76 years old, I am experienced enough to know when to give up something that is not physically possible.

I am 77. But we are different.
I am giving upp from all beekeeping. My back does not srand 50 kg lifting and diabetes is too difficult. 60 years with bees is clearly enough. I have now 1 colony.

 

[madasafish]

I am 77. But we are different.
I am giving upp from all beekeeping. My back does not srand 50 kg lifting and diabetes is too difficult. 60 years with bees is clearly enough. I have now 1 colony.

Sorry to hear that..

 

[Erichalfbee]

I am 77. But we are different.
I am giving upp from all beekeeping. My back does not srand 50 kg lifting and diabetes is too difficult. 60 years with bees is clearly enough. I have now 1 colony.

Oh Finny….. I am so sorry but glad you have kept one box of pets. I hope you stick around here. We all missed you while you were away.

 

[nemphlar]

I have a plastic QE cut down and bent (using a hot air gun ) to fit. Secured with high tech rubber bands,
As for persuading a Q to lay, I can only ask nicely

I placed the Q in the cage today: she is laying like mad so fingers crossed,

Having read the Apiarist blog I had a go last week. A standard frame with 3/8 hardboard inset. Nicot cell sized hole drilled in hardboard with foundation placed on board. Queen cells pushed through the foundation into the board. 80 cells in all, queen locked in and laid in all cells after 24hrs. I put 20 of of them on my usual queen cell frame. Checked tonight and not a single take. Any thoughts on how to bridge the egg to larvae stage. This had been mentioned as an issue.

 

[madasafish]

Having read the Apiarist blog I had a go last week. A standard frame with 3/8 hardboard inset. Nicot cell sized hole drilled in hardboard with foundation placed on board. Queen cells pushed through the foundation into the board. 80 cells in all, queen locked in and laid in all cells after 24hrs. I put 20 of of them on my usual queen cell frame. Checked tonight and not a single take. Any thoughts on how to bridge the egg to larvae stage. This had been mentioned as an issue.

Did you move larvae or eggs? Eggs will be eaten if in a different colony - wrong smell.

If larvae, did you move between two frames of capped brood or open larvae? If capped brood, I believe bees may decide it's the wrong place and eat the eggs...

 

[Andy]

During my studies on this, I read a way of doing this is to fill a new hive with frames of brood and bees and let it go totally queen less. Ie squish all new queen cells repeatedly until all larvae and eggs are gone. Then when you put in the eggs they are desperate for the ability to requeen and will accept any eggs. I'm early stages beekeeping so haven't tried this yet. @nemphlar Would love to see photos of your board as I can't quite visualise what you did.

 

[nemphlar]

Did you move larvae or eggs? Eggs will be eaten if in a different colony - wrong smell.

If larvae, did you move between two frames of capped brood or open larvae? If capped brood, I believe bees may decide it's the wrong place and eat the eggs...

I popped the cells from the board put them in the cell holders and put them back in the same position. I'd removed all open brood, only capped cells 24 hrs earlier when I locked in the queen. I removed the queen when I placed the cell holder back in. I wonder now if the queenless period was too short. Perhaps a switch to a hopelessly queenless Nuc? I'll try and upload a picture.

 

[nemphlar]

During my studies on this, I read a way of doing this is to fill a new hive with frames of brood and bees and let it go totally queen less. Ie squish all new queen cells repeatedly until all larvae and eggs are gone. Then when you put in the eggs they are desperate for the ability to requeen and will accept any eggs. I'm early stages beekeeping so haven't tried this yet. @nemphlar Would love to see photos of your board as I can't quite visualise what you did.

A bit of a botch up and gaffer tape

 

[Andy]

That’s awesome. Love it

 

[Moobee]

Someone has given me a handful of these ‘to try’. No instructions mind. Are you supposed to graft into them or wedge them at the bottom of a frame & hope the queen thinks they’re swarm cells and lays them up??

 

[madasafish]

Those are JZBZ cups and you graft into them

 

[mbc]

Those are JZBZ cups and you graft into them

I use hundreds of those each season

 

[Moobee]

Did you move larvae or eggs? Eggs will be eaten if in a different colony - wrong smell.

If larvae, did you move between two frames of capped brood or open larvae? If capped brood, I believe bees may decide it's the wrong place and eat the eggs...

Oh! That would explain why this didn't work then.....

 

[Moobee]

Those are JZBZ cups and you graft into them

Thanks! I am very new to this (can you tell....?)