Using an incubator to 'bring on' Queen cells

[the worker and the drone]

Anyone out there tried using an egg incubator to develop queen cells?

I tried it a while ago with huge amounts of success.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Yes, it's all i use for sealed queen cells.

 

[the worker and the drone]

What temp do you use...?
I put them in with chicken eggs at 37.4/6

 

[BKF Admin]

I use 34.5c and add water.

 

[Hivemaker.]

95F ... 35c

 

[nonstandard]

I'm intrigued by this one as I have a Brinsea exactly the same as on Thorne's website.

Assuming multiple queen cells how do you separate them and how soon after emergence do you move the queens out to mating hives; basically would someone give me a brief 'how to'

 

[Hivemaker.]

They are already separated on the cell raising bar,i then use a castellated frame which holds multiple cell bars,all cells are caged and the virgin queens removed within an hour or so of emerging, and run straight into mating nuc's when first setting them up.
For requeening the mating nuc's after mated queens have been removed,then the cells are removed and added to these nuc's when they are ripe,ie you can see the virgin queen moving in the cell and starting to bite her way out.

 

[susbees]

What temp do you use...?
I put them in with chicken eggs at 37.4/6

I melted a test couple at less than that. Incubator now replaced....what humidity are you using?

 

[beebreeder]

As admin and HM suggest, a tray full of water in the bottom and keeping it topped up.
kev

 

[susbees]

As admin and HM suggest, a tray full of water in the bottom and keeping it topped up.
kev

Thanks...just overwhelmed at having a digital humidity readout after all these years Maybe I'll try parrots....

 

[huntsman666]

Same temperature range and you can control the humidity, so why not?

 

[huntsman666]

<I put them in with chicken eggs at 37.4/6>

Eggs give off gases, not sure if it's good to mix.

 

[keith pierce]

I use an incubator, just like they have in thorns and would never use any system again. The cost is just €120 and you can absolutaly churn out queen cells if you want to.They hold about 40 queen cells. I have modified it and have included a few photos . on the floor i just put a sheet of mesh from an open mesh floor.



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[Crg]

I use 34.5c and add water.

Is this while the cells are developing?

 

[Crg]

What temp do you use...?
I put them in with chicken eggs at 37.4/6

I use 36C.

 

[Crg]

I'm intrigued by this one as I have a Brinsea exactly the same as on Thorne's website.

Assuming multiple queen cells how do you separate them

With the rollers on I find they sit nicely in there using the dividers that come with the incubator.

 

[Crg]

I read somewhere recently that it's now thought temps in the higher range are better, but don't seem to be able to find it.

It was related to the studies like these which show how rearing temperature effects adult bees.

http://www.pnas.org/content/100/12/7343.full.pdf

www.culturaapicola.com.ar/apuntes/revistaselectronicas/Oldroyd/63.pdf