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Thursday, July 18, 2013

Grafting update

The batch of Queen cells have now been moved into their new homes, nucs and mininucs.  They are due to hatch tomorrow or the day after.  I had a quick peek at one of them to make sure everything is going to plan.










This one was put into a nuc along with a frame of bees from the colony that reared the five cells on the top bar.  It is a nice size and fingers crossed all is well.  I will leave them all alone now for a couple of weeks, by which time they should all be mated and hopefully laying.
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4 comments:

  1. AnonymousJuly 28, 2013 at 8:43 AM

    Thanks for this blog. Very interesting. I'm an amateur keeping about 20 colonies in Mid Wales. Came across the Bangor Uni. Queen rearing centre "by accident" yesterday and was inspired to look into Queen rearing again...! Pererin

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  2. lincsbeeJuly 28, 2013 at 9:48 AM

    thanks for the comment, very new to Queen rearing myself, but definitely worth a go.

    mike

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  3. AnonymousAugust 30, 2013 at 8:17 AM

    Congratulations. All seems to be going well. Had a go myself but it didn't work. I think the "young larvae" that I put in was possibly no such thing - my eyesight wasn't great!! Still, since I've made up a frame to hold the Cup Cells, I might have another go.

    Also, when I went to check in the Queen rearing Colony after a week to see if they'd built up the cells, discovered a "natural" Queen cell elsewhere in the colony!!

    Pererin

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  4. lincsbeeAugust 30, 2013 at 12:35 PM

    A swarm or supercedure cell would probably inhibit the colony from raising more Queens. I gave a frame of eggs to one of the guys I help recently, he thought he had lost his Queen. After five days no Queencells on the frame. I inspected the hive for him and found one large Queencell hidden in a corner of a frame, enough to stop them making any more.

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