Comments on: Queen Rearing http://robo.bushkillfarms.com Trial and Tribulations of a Hobby Beekeeper! Sat, 24 Jul 2010 22:48:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Robo http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/beekeeping/queen-rearing/comment-page-1/#comment-2854 Robo Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:37:48 +0000 http://bushkillfarms.com/robo/?page_id=17#comment-2854 <strong>There are two problems: First, some of my cells were too large to place a queen protector cage over. These cells were distroyed by the bees in the first day.</strong> I do not use cell protectors, so can't offer any advice on them. The only time I have had cells destroyed was by another queen. <strong> Second, I opened up the queen cell cage on the others and on the 19th day, 10 cells had emerged, or the bees destroyed them, I do not know which, and 5 cells had not emerged and I closed up the cell cages.</strong> It is easy to determine if a queen has hatched by the perfect circular hole in the bottom. It almost looks like someone took a paper hole punch and made it. If you catch it early enough, you will often see the flap or hanging chad still attached. Whereas, if the cells where destroyed, you will find the side of the cell opened up. <strong>The main question I have is, do you recommend keeping the queen protector cage on until the queens emerge?</strong> I've never found a need to use them so I don't. Sounds like you may have an issue with other queens getting access to your cells. You need to make sure there are no swarm cells above the queen excluder or in the mating nucs when you put them together. There are two problems: First, some of my cells were too large to place a queen protector cage over. These cells were distroyed by the bees in the first day.
I do not use cell protectors, so can’t offer any advice on them. The only time I have had cells destroyed was by another queen.

Second, I opened up the queen cell cage on the others and on the 19th day, 10 cells had emerged, or the bees destroyed them, I do not know which, and 5 cells had not emerged and I closed up the cell cages.
It is easy to determine if a queen has hatched by the perfect circular hole in the bottom. It almost looks like someone took a paper hole punch and made it. If you catch it early enough, you will often see the flap or hanging chad still attached. Whereas, if the cells where destroyed, you will find the side of the cell opened up.

The main question I have is, do you recommend keeping the queen protector cage on until the queens emerge?
I’ve never found a need to use them so I don’t. Sounds like you may have an issue with other queens getting access to your cells. You need to make sure there are no swarm cells above the queen excluder or in the mating nucs when you put them together.

]]> By: Buddy M http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/beekeeping/queen-rearing/comment-page-1/#comment-2847 Buddy M Mon, 31 May 2010 14:08:03 +0000 http://bushkillfarms.com/robo/?page_id=17#comment-2847 Hello Robo, Sounds like we are using similiar methods of queen rearing. I am in the conclusion phase of the first attempt and I have several questions! First, I could not see any eggs the first day, so I left the queen in Nicot box for 4 days until I saw the first of the royal jelly, then moved the cells to the cell builder hive. All seemed to go well . According to my calendar, I moved the cells to the mating nucs (same as your design). There are two problems: First, some of my cells were too large to place a queen protector cage over. These cells were distroyed by the bees in the first day. Second, I opened up the queen cell cage on the others and on the 19th day, 10 cells had emerged, or the bees destroyed them, I do not know which, and 5 cells had not emerged and I closed up the cell cages. The main question I have is, do you recommend keeping the queen protector cage on until the queens emerge? Many thanks, Buddy M. Hello Robo,
Sounds like we are using similiar methods of queen rearing. I am in the conclusion phase of the first attempt and I have several questions!
First, I could not see any eggs the first day, so I left the queen in Nicot box for 4 days until I saw the first of the royal jelly, then moved the cells to the cell builder hive. All seemed to go well . According to my calendar, I moved the cells to the mating nucs (same as your design). There are two problems: First, some of my cells were too large to place a queen protector cage over. These cells were distroyed by the bees in the first day. Second, I opened up the queen cell cage on the others and on the 19th day, 10 cells had emerged, or the bees destroyed them, I do not know which, and 5 cells had not emerged and I closed up the cell cages.

The main question I have is, do you recommend keeping the queen protector cage on until the queens emerge?

Many thanks,
Buddy M.

]]> By: Robo http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/beekeeping/queen-rearing/comment-page-1/#comment-2333 Robo Sat, 19 Dec 2009 12:15:04 +0000 http://bushkillfarms.com/robo/?page_id=17#comment-2333 Hi Neal, I'm not sure what your trying to accomplish with the common area. Seems like it just adds to the expense of the nuc and gives more chances of things going awry, especially since a virgin queen can go thru an excluder. I use deep mating nucs that are split into four 2-frame units and have good results with them. <center> <a class="noshadow" href="http://www.bushkillfarms.com/gallery2/d/411-2/IMG_1252.JPG" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://www.bushkillfarms.com/gallery2/d/410-2/IMG_1252.JPG"></a><a class="noshadow" href="http://www.bushkillfarms.com/gallery2/d/414-2/IMG_1253.JPG" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://www.bushkillfarms.com/gallery2/d/413-2/IMG_1253.JPG"></a><a class="noshadow" href="http://www.bushkillfarms.com/gallery2/d/417-2/IMG_1254.JPG" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://www.bushkillfarms.com/gallery2/d/416-2/IMG_1254.JPG"></a></center> Since your using mediums, if it where me, I would take that center area and make a 3rd nuc out of it. I know Dave Miska, one of the largest queen breeders in the US, uses three 3-frame medium mating nucs. Good luck, Rob.... Hi Neal,

I’m not sure what your trying to accomplish with the common area. Seems like it just adds to the expense of the nuc and gives more chances of things going awry, especially since a virgin queen can go thru an excluder.

I use deep mating nucs that are split into four 2-frame units and have good results with them.


Since your using mediums, if it where me, I would take that center area and make a 3rd nuc out of it. I know Dave Miska, one of the largest queen breeders in the US, uses three 3-frame medium mating nucs.

Good luck,
Rob….

]]> By: Neil B http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/beekeeping/queen-rearing/comment-page-1/#comment-2318 Neil B Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:49:39 +0000 http://bushkillfarms.com/robo/?page_id=17#comment-2318 I am thinking about making mating nucs by dividing a med depth super. Three frames on each side, queen excluders, then a feeder and two frames in the middle. So each nuc would have three frames and there would be two frrames and a feeder in the "common area". Any ideas? Thanks, Neil I am thinking about making mating nucs by dividing a med depth super. Three frames on each side, queen excluders, then a feeder and two frames in the middle. So each nuc would have three frames and there would be two frrames and a feeder in the “common area”. Any ideas?
Thanks, Neil

]]> By: Robo http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/beekeeping/queen-rearing/comment-page-1/#comment-1771 Robo Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:13:25 +0000 http://bushkillfarms.com/robo/?page_id=17#comment-1771 Yes, I have heard similar concerns with the availability of Jenter parts. <strong>dividing a medium 8 frame box to make 2 nuc’s overwintering them with maybe a queen excluder and food store above</strong> Another option is to take the the last round of queens in the mating nucs and move them into 5 frame nucs with a <a href="http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/beekeeping/emergency-feeding/" rel="nofollow"> sugar frame</a> before your last fall flow. It doesn't take much for them to fill the other 2 frames up and be ready for winter. I think you might run into difficulties trying to overwinter with queen excluders. The bees will migrate to the one queen and the others will die. Yes, I have heard similar concerns with the availability of Jenter parts.
dividing a medium 8 frame box to make 2 nuc’s overwintering them with maybe a queen excluder and food store above
Another option is to take the the last round of queens in the mating nucs and move them into 5 frame nucs with a sugar frame before your last fall flow. It doesn’t take much for them to fill the other 2 frames up and be ready for winter.

I think you might run into difficulties trying to overwinter with queen excluders. The bees will migrate to the one queen and the others will die.

]]> By: Chris Higgins http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/beekeeping/queen-rearing/comment-page-1/#comment-1768 Chris Higgins Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:35:10 +0000 http://bushkillfarms.com/robo/?page_id=17#comment-1768 Hi Robo, thanks for putting this up. I have been scrolling through pages on queen rearing and leaning towards a system, jenter or other and this is very very helpful. I saw somewhere else that perhaps the jenter system is no longer offered so may be buying a nicot system, and the queen rearing video endorsed by such heavy hitters as yourself I think and Michael Bush. I am in WV, waiting for a run of japanes knotweed to start and finish, thinking about rearing queens in August, dividing a medium 8 frame box to make 2 nuc's overwintering them with maybe a queen excluder and food store above, as i don't think a nuc will build up enough done this late ? Thanks, Chris. Hi Robo, thanks for putting this up. I have been scrolling through pages on queen rearing and leaning towards a system, jenter or other and this is very very helpful. I saw somewhere else that perhaps the jenter system is no longer offered so may be buying a nicot system, and the queen rearing video endorsed by such heavy hitters as yourself I think and Michael Bush. I am in WV, waiting for a run of japanes knotweed to start and finish, thinking about rearing queens in August, dividing a medium 8 frame box to make 2 nuc’s overwintering them with maybe a queen excluder and food store above, as i don’t think a nuc will build up enough done this late ? Thanks, Chris.

]]> By: Robo http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/beekeeping/queen-rearing/comment-page-1/#comment-1318 Robo Sun, 16 Nov 2008 23:04:23 +0000 http://bushkillfarms.com/robo/?page_id=17#comment-1318 Roger, A PDF version of the queen rearing calendar is available <a href="http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/downloads/beekeeping/QueenRearingCalendar.pdf" rel="nofollow">HERE</a>. David Eyre's video on the Nicot system is indeed excellent. Parts of my process came directly from David's teaching. I previously had a link to it here, but the Beeworks store kept changing and I gave up trying to keep the link working. Roger,
A PDF version of the queen rearing calendar is available HERE.

David Eyre’s video on the Nicot system is indeed excellent. Parts of my process came directly from David’s teaching. I previously had a link to it here, but the Beeworks store kept changing and I gave up trying to keep the link working.

]]> By: Roger Barton http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/beekeeping/queen-rearing/comment-page-1/#comment-1315 Roger Barton Sun, 16 Nov 2008 22:13:07 +0000 http://bushkillfarms.com/robo/?page_id=17#comment-1315 Rob, Is there some way I can get a full size copy of your Queen Rearing Calendar? Incidently, David Eyre @ Beeworks has an outstanding video on the Nicot System. Thanks. Roger Rob,
Is there some way I can get a full size copy of your Queen Rearing Calendar? Incidently, David Eyre @ Beeworks has an outstanding video on the Nicot System. Thanks.
Roger

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