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Thread: Grafting / Queen rearing 2019

  1. #11
    Senior Member fatshark's Avatar
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    Interesting, I have one queenless colony that is piling in the nectar far better than neighbouring colonies. I seem to remember we discussed this last season as well. I keep on offering it test frames. They're ignored, there's no brood and I'm 99% certain there's no queen present.

  2. #12
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    Started Nicot QR mid April. Waste of time as weather turned cold and queens all went off lay and despite feeding only 1 QC= which came to nothing.
    Restarted last week - looks like 10 ish QCs started - currently due to be sealed 23 May. Lots of swarming locally. Came home form inspecting hive we had rescued from laying workers (add brood, queen unite/smoke like mad/air freshener) to find : 1 prime swarm in buddleia at shoulder height , 5 casts distributed around plum tree - all at shoulder height.(from TBH which I only inspect at irregular intervals and crammed with bees)

    Easy hiving.. but six ! Run out of 5 frame nucs, so using home made 5 frame mating nucs (about 1/3rd National brood frame), Just have enough hive stands and roofs..

    When the 10 or so QCs emerge I'll run out of mini mating nucs and vegetable garden will be full of them! (I set them up initially with virgins - more successful than QCs..)

    4 Langs on 4 supers, two on 2, 2 with 1, running out of supers : will have to start extracting.

  3. #13

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    My first set of grafts this year. Done in decent weather. Harvested from the cell raiser in pouring rain! 17 from 20 is about as good as it gets for me.

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  4. #14

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    impressive return there. Cell builder has done you well.

  5. #15

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    Yep - basic Harden setup but using a Cloake Board to make the top half queenless and no open brood up there for them to make queens out of (except my grafts of course!).

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  6. #16
    Senior Member Adam's Avatar
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    I would be very happy with 17/20. I tend to start 8 or 9 at a time rather than any more. As it's only supposed to be a hobby, that's enough in one go for me. I did 8 the other day and I think I have 6 that have taken which is fine for now. I tend to worry about the weather - especially early on - as sometimes the queens don't get up and mate. I would hate to have to discard 17 queens in one go!

  7. #17

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    I'd normally get 10 or 12 from 20 Adam to be honest. Having to fill 17 apideas probably in the rain on Sunday now as well. Hoping the buggers don't abscond and the queens mate properly but no guarantees as you know.

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  8. #18
    Senior Member fatshark's Avatar
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    17/20 ... nice one

    There's an unwritten rule in beekeeping that the day you choose to populate Apideas will have the worst weather in any given fortnight.

    It's been damp today in the North West and it's looking worse tomorrow.

    Have fun

  9. #19

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    Och I'm only taking bees from supers. What's the worst that can happen?!......

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  10. #20
    Senior Member Adam's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by drumgerry View Post
    I'd normally get 10 or 12 from 20 Adam to be honest. Having to fill 17 apideas probably in the rain on Sunday now as well. Hoping the buggers don't abscond and the queens mate properly but no guarantees as you know.
    Sometimes you get your eye in and the grafts come out good. It's a bit like cricket. Othertimes you're out for very few runs indeed!

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