1st grafting attempt

[The Drone Ranger]

Okay next steps ! Queen due to emerge tonight / tommorrow by my calcs.
I filled an home bodged mating nuc last night with about 1/2 pint of bees, added fondant to the feeding compartment, put the entrance to ventilate position, left in garage - celebrated with a wee dram.

Garage had about 40 bees flying around in it this morning - doh ! Seems they had pushed the entrance disc out.

So I aim so pop the ripe QC in today and then move to a friends apiary and let them loose this evening. 2 Questions - Do I open the hair roller cage or remove it completely when adding the QC ? do I need to keep them closed up with the QC for a while ?

You remove the hair roller cage and just put the queen cell in
Once you have moved the bees to your friends apiary providing its a mile or so away all the bees will stay put when you open the hive
Site the mini nuc out of the flight path of any full sized hives
job done

[greengumbo]

You remove the hair roller cage and just put the queen cell in
Once you have moved the bees to your friends apiary providing its a mile or so away all the bees will stay put when you open the hive
Site the mini nuc out of the flight path of any full sized hives
job done

Cheers DR.

Next QC due to emerge on friday so I hope to borrow a keiler from same friend and try that.

[greengumbo]

Cheers DR.

Next QC due to emerge on friday so I hope to borrow a keiler from same friend and try that.

2nd one in now and on its holidays at mates apiary.

Cheers for the advice

[The Drone Ranger]

Good luck with that one what we need is a good patch of weather in about 10 days time
I have 4 on the go at the moment which will be mating around the same time as your new one
Plenty drones around at the moment so that's good

[greengumbo]

Good luck with that one what we need is a good patch of weather in about 10 days time
I have 4 on the go at the moment which will be mating around the same time as your new one
Plenty drones around at the moment so that's good

Yup - looks like the weather is turning a bit worse though.

Few quickies:

Do you just leave them alone for the next wee while or do you check to see if the cells have hatched okay ?

Do they draw the comb on the wee frames only once the queen has mated ?

[Jon]

GG
My standard routine is fill apideas and put cells in a few hours later when they are 24-48 hours from emergence.
Leave apideas stacked up and closed and check for queen emergence 2-3 days later.
Only set out and open apideas (in shade) once the queen is out of the cell, best time to open is at dusk.

[greengumbo]

GG
My standard routine is fill apideas and put cells in a few hours later when they are 24-48 hours from emergence.
Leave apideas stacked up and closed and check for queen emergence 2-3 days later.
Only set out and open apideas (in shade) once the queen is out of the cell, best time to open is at dusk.

Bugger. So I should have locked them in with the cell for a few days ?

Och well, will see what happens ! I'll check them next weekend for emergence.

[Jon]

A lot of bees abscond if you open the apidea before the queen has emerged especially if there are queenright colonies in the area.
If the cell goes in several days before emergence date, it is often chilled and fails to hatch.

They should start to draw comb immediately.

[greengumbo]

A lot of bees abscond if you open the apidea before the queen has emerged especially if there are queenright colonies in the area.
If the cell goes in several days before emergence date, it is often chilled and fails to hatch.

They should start to draw comb immediately.

Okay. I had a peek in the first one yesterday and the bees were still there. Hopefully this is a good sign.

[greengumbo]

Had a look in both and the first one to emerge was running about looking fat. They had drawn the combs and stored pollen and some stores. Could not see eggs but was just having a quick look.

Never saw the queen in the second but looking at the cell she must have emerged. Again pollen, honey and comb drawn.

Well chuffed ! Will wait till definite signs of brood before being completely happy though.