Hi Jon.
those cell protectors Thornes sell are meant for when a bad queen is removed and a ripe Queen Cell is to be put in soon after so it hatches before any the bad bees cells they start are ready
I havent ever used one but thats what they were originally for.
I think the foil is just a modern substitute.
Snelgroves Introduction of Queen Bees has the full lowdown on when they make sense
Possibly folk take an unnecessary belt and braces approach
They're also handy in times of shortage -if the nuc isn't being fed and there's little forage it's amazing how quickly they can pull down a cell. How that's going to help their cause I don't now but it sure happens.
My Demaree success rate has just slipped from 50:50 … got to a colony this afternoon to find an open (emerged) couple of QC's and a distinct shortage of bees. Oops. A friend popped round to say he'd seen a swarm disappear over his house a couple of hours earlier. First one I've lost this year. I'd known the colony was thinking of going AWOL and had split off a nuc with the queen - lovely calm bees - leaving one big QC. After that it all went wrong …Win some, lose some.
On a brighter note, I've got some newly mated and laying queens in my two-frame nucs and Wiggo looks like he's going to completely destroy the world hour record … 34mph on a pushbike. Awesome.
There is no need for an incubator, just one further step in the rearing process. Starter box first then started cells into top supers for finishing. When sealed put in cages to emerge again in a top super and you have virgins under control which you can mark if you wish. I can't say I have noticed many vanishing due to the marking or other factors like birds. I was interested that Clive de Bruyn didn't mention the cages in his recent series in Bee Craft.
PH
Yep, I agree there is an element of truth in that statement. However, if you have cages in a nursery colony and the bottom of one (hair roller NICOT type) should pop open, as can happen, then that wee virgin will systematically destroy every uncaged cell in the box. I suppose its only of necessity if you are rearing hundreds of queens.Originally Posted by Poly Hive
Chalkbrood seems to be very seasonal; pretty well nothing this year for me but 2 or 3 years ago there was lots. However the worst colonies would have their queens replaced and there is some queen-dependantness* about it..
*I think this is a new word; for me at least!
I never used an incubator until last year but is is probably the best £120 I ever spent.
You can raise far more queens in a given time by moving them to the incubator after sealing and getting a fresh frame of grafts through whatever starter-finisher setup you have chosen.
Just read what a Demaree is... oh dear.
Why not just move the brood part of the hive with queen off to the side, and leave the supers with a frame of very young larve/ grafts?
Almost as effective for not loosing honey production, less hassle and very good at putting the breaks on swarming tendancies...
No hassles looking for a skinney queen (especially as mine are usually unmarked...)
Hi Calum
I prefer a swarm board but the idea is the same you dont need a spare floor ,crownboard and roof
The board is easier
You tend to "fall out" with even the gentlest hives if you haul them apart all the time
Last edited by The Drone Ranger; 09-06-2015 at 09:45 PM.
a swarm board, just read up on it... seems a really nice method- I'd like to try (except it would be very tricky @ my bee houses), is it very reliable (the swarm does not alight often)?
My described method, is really low on colony disruption, you just need to find a frame of brood that the bees can make a queen (s) from. There should be enough young bees in the supers to raise a good quality queen.
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