Virgins Vs cells

[BigAshW]

I'm intending to have a go at queen rearing next year. So in my usual way I like to have a plan to start with despite knowing that the bees will of course completely ignore it.

I have an old dartington hive that I've built a cloak board for to use as my cell raiser, over winter I plan to build a long hive with three frame compartments for mating nucs.

My question is around the introduction of queen's to the mating nucs.

What are the various pros and cons between placing cells into nucs Vs rearing in an incubator and introducing virgins

So far I can think of the below.

Cells should have a good acceptance rate but you don't have a chance to check the virgin over for deformity ect and if the cell has failed you lose time.

Virgins emerged in an incubator can be checked out and even marked if required with failed cells discarded but introduction is potentially riskier and using an incubator is an extra step in the process so takes a little more time.

What do you guys think?

 

[Swarm]

I use both methods, generally setting up nucs with cells and harvesting others to run the virgins into mating nucs made up as and when required. Success rate is on a par.

 

[madasafish]

I go down the incubator/mark/inspect route less resources used and wasted when the Q emerges faulty or does not emerge at all from QC..

 

[Hedgerow Honey]

I use two systems, cells & virgins.
Mating nucs initially get a virgin, then when that's removed, cells until the end of the season. It's been a terrible season for us & I've only managed to raise eighty-ish of our own as both of us have had health issues.
Nucs get a mated Queen, which if not accepted & killed then a cell in a cage after cutting out any emergency cells.