Absconding bees from Apidea

[beejazz]

Fs, it should go Ok, these bees are pussie cats, which helps? I'll put her into a cage, don't know how, as I can't pick up queens! I have a queen pipe thingy, so the plan is to put it over her, wait until she walks up and then present the cage for her to walk into. I may temporarily put something around the cage to darken it.
Then put the cage suspended by a cocktail stick over the area from where I took the Q cell?
I'm in two minds whether to tape up the candy, and remove it a few days later, gradual introduction?

[Black Comb]

One has absconded. They are in the shade but noticed sun hits them for 1 hour in the aft. Bad location, or lost all on mating flight which is due about now.

[Black Comb]

Did all the cells develop into full queen cells DR?
(Cup kit method)

[The Drone Ranger]

Did all the cells develop into full queen cells DR?
(Cup kit method)

The ones laid in the cups taken from the cassette have only been in since yesterday so only time will tell
I would say they have more chance than the ones I graft into cups because they are undisturbed
Thing is you can get 120 cups laid up
Grafting that many would take me forever

[fatshark]

Fs, it should go Ok, these bees are pussie cats, which helps? I'll put her into a cage, don't know how, as I can't pick up queens! I have a queen pipe thingy, so the plan is to put it over her, wait until she walks up and then present the cage for her to walk into.

Jon described using one of these crack pipes recently ... she's unlikely to just march in. Gently place it over her with the spout pointing upwards ... if and when she walks up into it lift it off the frame and quickly place your thumb over the entrance. Some walk up the sloping tube promptly ... other play silly buggers. Don't push the bowl of the pipe too hard against the comb and don't trap her legs under the lip.

You can get her from the pipe to a cage by gently blowing her down the tube ... put foam into the bowl entrance first!

Then put the cage suspended by a cocktail stick over the area from where I took the Q cell?
I'm in two minds whether to tape up the candy, and remove it a few days later, gradual introduction?

Cage with fondant over brood, which is probably where the QC was. It'll do no harm to seal the cage for a couple of days. They'll feed her through the mesh. Ideally use a cage with an area she can't be reached from so she has somewhere to hide if they're aggressive. I'd use JzBz cages but would cover a part of a Butler cage with foil ...

[Kate Atchley]

Jon described using one of these crack pipes recently ... she's unlikely to just march in. Gently place it over her with the spout pointing upwards ... if and when she walks up into it lift it off the frame and quickly place your thumb over the entrance. Some walk up the sloping tube promptly ... other play silly buggers.

I spent a mesmerising 2o minutes or so on Thursday evening watching a queen NOT 'just marching in' to the cage. I tried the pipe uncovered, covered, pointing upwards gently and steeply, downwards, horizontal, you name it. An adventurous worker kept going up and in and bringing back fondant for her, trying to entice her in. She would come half way up the pipe and enjoy the food, then back into the bulb to do some series self-grooming! She's certainly a princess. Finally I held the bulb over the cage, realising that she or workers may get out sideways but she walked in, alone, and was easily caged. Left her workers looking short of a job!

I'll try gently blowing next time but how to do that with foam in the bulb? Hold the foam aside to leave space to blow?

[The Drone Ranger]

Suprisingly the foam lets the air through and you have to be careful to start very gently or it acts like a pea shooter

[beejazz]

The queen went up the pipe and into the cage after a couple of minutes, so glad I didn't have to wait 20 minutes as Kate did! I put the cage between brood, they didn't seem to take much notice of her, hope that is a good sign. It is a flattish yellow cage, I think they are called puzzle cages, with little plastic pieces that need to be snapped off so the bees can get at the fondant. It has an area with no holes for the queen to hide in if the bees become aggressive towards her. This queen is from an AS, both parts of the AS made new queens so put this one in an Apidea when I united. Waste not want not! I hate culling queens, I always think I am about to destroy the best ever queen.

[The Drone Ranger]

Did all the cells develop into full queen cells DR?
(Cup kit method)

Checked today 7 starts out of 14 in one cell raiser
only 1 from 10 in the other
Haven't used either of those hives a queenright cell raisers till this time
The one I have been using is occupied at the moment

[drumgerry]

As well to use this thread as to start a new one I think! Also not sure if this is asked and answered on an earlier page. Anyway......

250ml or 300 ml of bees to fill an Apidea? Started off using 300ml and things went fine. Thought I could get away with 250ml last year and suffered from a fair few abscondings. Might not have been that of course but I wonder if I'm pushing it by reducing the recommended number of bees?

Apidea gurus to the rescue......?!