Queen Rearing pdfs

**Pete L** · 01-12-2013, 06:12 PM

I only use very very strong Q+ colonies, and just a couple of queen excluders (demaree) the top one framed on three sides, top and bottom entrance, both facing same way, no fancy boards of any type, these same colonies produce a succession of cells throughout the queen rearing season, and can produce sealed cells for removal to a incubator every six days, or left in a bit longer if desired.
Grafting is done with a small sable brush, usually done sat in the front of the truck cos it's raining, if fine, on the tailgate.
My average take on the grafts is 90%.

**prakel** · 01-12-2013, 07:48 PM

Another couple, this time from Latshaw Apiaries:

Queen Rearing

Queen Rearing Basics.

**prakel** · 01-12-2013, 07:54 PM

Originally Posted by Black Comb

Will be cloak board at next year's first attempts.

John Kefuss apparently uses a slight variation of the method. Instead of the usual full box above the board he substitutes a 5 frame nuc (the board is obviously built to take the smaller box) to really shoe-horn the bees in.

**mbc** · 01-12-2013, 09:50 PM

Originally Posted by Black Comb

Cloake board is supposed to be the best of both worlds.
I.e. 24 hours queenless to get the cells started, then balance of queen cell feeding under supersedure response to ensure they are well fed and have fully developed ovaries.

I've been using cloak boards for over ten years now (and I'm still learning how best to use them). Of course, success has little to do with what equipment you choose to use and virtually everything to do with the state of the bees.
FWIW I now invariably start the first round of grafts in a starter box and transfer them, and the bees from the starter box, to the top box of a hive set up with a cloak board for finishing. This boosts the colony just enough that they should be fine to start and finish subsequent grafts, but I find its very touchy feely getting the balance of bees right and often see a dip in success if I've taken my eye off the ball and let the cell raising colony get unbalanced, usually through lazyness not transfering young brood to the top box regularly enough.
Starter boxes are great for getting cells accepted, but arent worth bothering with for me once the cloak board colonies get up to speed.

**mbc** · 01-12-2013, 09:57 PM

Originally Posted by Pete L

I only use very very strong Q+ colonies,

Horses for courses but my bees would start only a very few cells while q+
I'm also jealous of your 90%

**mbc** · 01-12-2013, 10:07 PM

Originally Posted by prakel

John Kefuss apparently uses a slight variation of the method. Instead of the usual full box above the board he substitutes a 5 frame nuc (the board is obviously built to take the smaller box) to really shoe-horn the bees in.

I imagine this would be great, especially if the young bees are shaken off open brood to reduce to the five frames, it would only work for one or two rounds of cells without support colonies though.

**prakel** · 01-12-2013, 10:13 PM

Support Colonies: mbc, yes, I believe that is the way he runs the units but can't for the moment remember where the reference is, it may be in an old ABJ rather than on the net.