ESBA Apiarist

This grafting lark

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ESBA Apiarist
, 05-07-2011 at 09:06 PM (9943 Views)
Its not so difficult, this grafting lark. On Sunday an enthusiastic bunch of East of Scotland Beekeepers, mostly beginners, gathered at the association apiary to see what's happening. Having managed to find the long-sought queen in our big double brood colony (thanks Susan) we went over to grafting mode. The old queen was banished to a small box at the side. We went and prepared bits and pieces while the bees adjusted to their loss.

Here is a frame from the breeder colony with larvae at the right stage. The hive tool was used to knock down the edges of the cells from which we wanted to graft.



Raw beginner with no bees yet? Never mind! Step forward and do some grafting. We took turns and about 6 of the grafts were made by folk who had never tried before. One wasn't a beekeeper at the time, although now she is nursing a tiny cast in an Apidea. But that is another story. Here is Lara making her first graft.







My turn now.



One day later four out of nine attempts were filled with royal jelly.



I hurriedly re-grafted the empties yesterday at lunchtime and two more have now taken. Six out of nine ain't bad!

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  1. Jon's Avatar
    It is very hit or miss this year. The key thing is the state of the colony. If weather has been bad for days they will not start grafts even if the process is perfect.
    I set the grafting frame upside down and lean it back a little. This gives a better angle for seeing and manipulating the larvae. I hold the grafting tool in my right and and the cell cup in my left and move the grafts that way. I place each cup I have grafted on the cell bar one at a time as I have done it. Make sure to push the cream cups well onto the brown base cups and also push the insert cup well into the cream cup as these can fall off in the colony and if you don't twig you could end up with a virgin hatching from a cell which has fallen to the floor.

    But you are right, it is relatively easy in spite of the mystique attached to the process. The real trick is to get your recipient colony in the right mood to start them and the other trick is to have the right drones for mating your queens. I was talking to Mervyn this afternoon at the allotment. As he was browsing on some blackcurrants, Ben Sarek variety, he said that your place was/is something of a centre of excellence re. the blackcurrant. I thought it was mostly about spuds.
  2. Sean's Avatar
    Great result Gavin! Look forward to seeing them develop.
  3. ESBA Apiarist's Avatar
    I fear for next Saturday's batch if that is the case as it is now turning wet. I wondered about grafting into individual cups and maybe storing them in a humid box while we accumulated enough (they were on the verge of drying out). Cups and cup holders might fall but my first mistake was not to attach the bar well enough to the frame! It was hanging at a funny angle today (but is no longer). Yes, we are famous for our soft fruit too. Ben Sarek is one of my pal Rex' varieties.

    Sean - your hand featured I think! I'm now off - in the rain - to block off the entrance of a colony for early morning transport.
  4. Jon's Avatar
    Everyone raves about the size of the fruit on Ben Sarek. I got 44lbs off 3 bushes I have in the garden a few years ago. I have 10 more at the allotment started from cuttings from these ones but I see signs of big bud this year so will have to grub them out.