Poly Hive
Queen Bee
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2008
- Messages
- 14,093
- Reaction score
- 395
- Location
- Scottish Borders
- Hive Type
- National
- Number of Hives
- 12 and 18 Nucs
http://s1036.photobucket.com/albums/a442/PolyHive/?action=view¤t=DSCN1654.jpg
Ok that link will have to do until I get this photo mess sorted out.
:
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In the pic from the front.
Queen cups made on the former which is the metal thingy with 7 legs so yes 7 cups a go.
It is sitting inside a frame adapted to hold the cell bars. Says Queen cells on it in case I canna find it.
The standing frame at the back shows how the cell bar fits in and holds 12 plugs which in turn have 12 cups attached to graft into. I usually offer 24 or 36 grafts at a time. I have fancy ceramic plugs that Bernard gave me and have added to them ones I made from dowel. 18mm glued to 22mm. Makes a top hat profile and works just fine.
When the grafts are accepted I move the duds out, and offer the super 12 started cells. When they are sealed they are moved in to the cages you see and they sit in the same super until they hatch.
Yes it pays to keep good track of what is where.
If I went back to doing it on a scale I would go back to painting bricks so the colour would tell me what was where. Used to be Green for grafts. Yellow for accepted cells and blue for virgins.
I thought some might like to see how versatile this method is as you can grab a frame and graft, and it saves huge amounts of time over the cage and plug business.
PH
Ok that link will have to do until I get this photo mess sorted out.
Invalid File
In the pic from the front.
Queen cups made on the former which is the metal thingy with 7 legs so yes 7 cups a go.
It is sitting inside a frame adapted to hold the cell bars. Says Queen cells on it in case I canna find it.
The standing frame at the back shows how the cell bar fits in and holds 12 plugs which in turn have 12 cups attached to graft into. I usually offer 24 or 36 grafts at a time. I have fancy ceramic plugs that Bernard gave me and have added to them ones I made from dowel. 18mm glued to 22mm. Makes a top hat profile and works just fine.
When the grafts are accepted I move the duds out, and offer the super 12 started cells. When they are sealed they are moved in to the cages you see and they sit in the same super until they hatch.
Yes it pays to keep good track of what is where.
If I went back to doing it on a scale I would go back to painting bricks so the colour would tell me what was where. Used to be Green for grafts. Yellow for accepted cells and blue for virgins.
I thought some might like to see how versatile this method is as you can grab a frame and graft, and it saves huge amounts of time over the cage and plug business.
PH
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