A few of our 'country' cells being started
SAM_3655 (3).jpg
A few of our 'country' cells being started
SAM_3655 (3).jpg
Last edited by prakel; 03-07-2014 at 10:07 PM.
miller method?
No, grafted larvae in wax cups which are mounted on short lengths of wood which we push into the face of the mating nuc comb.
Look like they will make good cells.
Hope so! It's an 'extra' batch that we don't really need to do but it seems a shame to waste all this great weather -we're also using it as a bit of a trial run of Pasaga Ramic's cell starting method. If there's any interest I'll offer some detailed thoughts on it at a later time once we've put a few more batches through. I will say that I'm happy with this initial run.
There are blog entries describing the method by Erik Osterlund here and more recent follow ups here and here.
Last edited by prakel; 04-07-2014 at 05:41 PM.
I took home a frame with nine cells on it earlier this evening in the pannier of the bike - queens due to emerge tomorrow and one was out in the roller already.
I called into Tesco to pick up a pizza and a pack of mushrooms for my tea and put the mushroom punnet in the pannier with the cells.
The mushroom pack must have dislodged one of the cells as when I got home there were only 8 rollers on the bar so there must be a stray roller with an emerging queen outside of Tesco Dunmurry if anyone happens to be passing. Good Galtee stock.
So, the seven grafts went up to our mating site last Tues, 2 days before they were due to hatch (looked about right too). We left them in peace yesterday as they haven't had long enough to mate. The queen cell you gave me, GG, went up several days before and should have hatched around 25th June. Yesterday, around 11 days on from emergence, we were really pleased to see eggs in her Apidea. It is in a shady spot so I'm hoping my failure to remember to take a Q excluder to prevent absconding isn't critical. We also seem to have a decent week coming up so I'm hopeful that we may see some of them laying next weekend.Originally Posted by greengumbo
Less good was the total failure of Saturday's grafts. OK, I didn't pack a box to overflowing with young bees but just removed the queen from a likely colony an hour before inserting grafts, and shuffled in a frame of pollen. Maybe Sunday's replacements will fare better. The one I had in mind to graft into had more young bees and had had no brood to feed recently, but I'd missed queen cells in it so it wasn't suitable.
We wrapped the grafts on Saturday in a dish towel which had been recently washed and still smelled of conditioner. Would a scented towel around the grafts make them more liable to be rejected?
Collaborators also have mated dark queens up there in Paynes boxes, and have now also transferred grafts to Kielers and Apideas.
Excellent
My anti-swarming techniques slowed her down but not completely. Swapped all brood out for foundation and a few store frames and boosted another hive with the brood. 1 Week later and 5 frames laid up including 4 QC being drawn
I'd have thought - a week later and 5 frames laid up including 4 QC being drawnExcellent
My anti-swarming techniques slowed her down but not completely. Swapped all brood out for foundation and a few store frames and boosted another hive with the brood. 1 Week later and 5 frames laid up including 4 QC being drawn
E's raising queen cells from her daughters at the moment and if the Magnificent Seven (plus the other one) mate then we probably have enough of that line for now. There are other stocks we're raising Qs from and more on their way from a famous Scottish island. So I'll hold off for now (realising that I may miss the chance), but thanks for the offer. Might change my mind soon though!
G.
No probs ! Feel free to change your mind. I could have a wee trip down to your apiary at last.I'd have thought - a week later and 5 frames laid up including 4 QC being drawn
E's raising queen cells from her daughters at the moment and if the Magnificent Seven (plus the other one) mate then we probably have enough of that line for now. There are other stocks we're raising Qs from and more on their way from a famous Scottish island. So I'll hold off for now (realising that I may miss the chance), but thanks for the offer. Might change my mind soon though!
G.
I would love to graft some of your AMM or pending AMM stocks as well if possible.
Solved the problem of that hive killing my introduced queens.....can you guess ? Yup ....very few stores and a very slim queen wandering about already. Pretty tiny so no wonder I missed her especially as she has only been laying a few eggs. I have given them a good feed and will let them get on with it.
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