Ben Harden Queen Right system of queen rearing

[Jon]

I
I think Jon needs a kick up the arse though - I rearranged two such colonies and did 36 grafts between them, including finding suitable grafting material in each and caging the queens for safety, in about 40 minutes total this afternoon!

That is good going Dan but gimmie a break! I did this for the first time last year! Both the grafting and the rearranging. I am still getting the hang of it and I am sure we can go head to head in a couple of years re. the speed trials. This is my hobby rather than the day job!
I have 30 hatching Friday and another 10 next Wednesday.

Nice cells I reckon. What do you make of those?

two good cells.jpg

[Dan]

That is good going Dan but gimmie a break!

Just teasing

Nice cells I reckon. What do you make of those?

Lovely. Work out the postage for four dozen for me, would you please?

Seriously, they're good 'uns. Be proud of them

Tangent: Dad gave me one of these for my birthday this year and it's become my tool of choice. Replaced the 30 year old remodelled dental pick that my he handed down to me, which is saying something.

[Jon]

I use a fine paintbrush. Could never master the Chinese grafting tool which is what most people seem to use.

larva on brush.jpg

haven't really tried the type of tool you use.

I put the cells in apideas this evening as we have a severe weather warning out for tomorrow and I can't be arsed getting wet. Two days before hatching is usually ok, although I prefer to cage the cells with rollers and leave it to the last possible moment.

[gavin]

Must try alternative tools next time. We were looking for grass stalks to bite the end but all we could find was some Poa trivialis which comes pre-flattened and didn't seem suitable.

The Chinese tools have rather broad flexible tips. Good for scooping and lifting but not so good for sliding off at the other end, particularly if you pushed it quite far on. A bit of practice will surely make perfect though, whatever your chosen implement.

[Dan]

A bit of practice will surely make perfect though, whatever your chosen implement.

I set up a trial about four years ago, using one queen raiser through the season to compare tools. Commercial 16x10 cell bar frames are deep enough for three rows of queen cells. One row grafted with paintbrush, one with Chinese tool, one with dental pick, all at the same time. Once I'd got the hang of each tool, results were identical. It comes down to personal preference, choice of material, and care in movement.

The trick that most people fail to understand with Chinese tool is that you don't use the plunger to push the larva off. Instead you use the plunger to hold the larva steady whilst you withdraw the tongue from under it. Sort of like removing a tablecloth without upsetting the teacups (in slow-motion!), and quite an unnatural hand motion until you've practised.

The paint brush is by far the most elegant tool, but until I can find a cranked paintbrush I'll carry on with the Swiss tool. I don't enjoy squinting around my hand and the grafting tool!

Didn't Doolittle work with chewed/whittled matchsticks?

[Dark Bee]

The cranked tool shown in Dan's photo is excellent (my view). The chinese tool, although the favourite weapon of the GBBG, was impossible to manipulate and I acknowledge the fault was more likely to be mine. There is an inexpensive tool on ebay - has anyone fired one in anger? I may get one , it would be something else to blame if things went awry.

[Black Comb]

I prefer the paintbrush but have a problem in getting the larva off the brush into the base of the graft cell.
Some books suggest priming the base with dilute royal jelly.
Anyone do this?